The Bess
by Rondabunny
Summary: Cara - the powerful Mord'Sith is responsible for this world to survive. Richard, Kahlan and Zedd will help her in this dangerous task. But will she survive in the end?
1. Chapter 1

**The Bess**

**Part 1**

Cara, head of the Mord'Sith, stood in a dungeon of Janderlain and looked at little girls, who pressed themselves one to another scared to death. All of them were crying and begged to let them go to their parents except one 10-year old, who was sitting crawled into a ball but glowered at the Mord'Sith without fear. There was something horrible in her appearance. She wasn't ugly, no, she wasn't ugly at all. Her beauty streamed from her and covered her like a cocoon. She had long white hair. She wasn't blond. Her curly hair was really white like snow. She had whitish brows under which dark blue eyes with long black eyelashes stared at you as if they could see through you. The girl had plump lips just like Cara's and a turned-up nose. Her skin was so white that you could see thin veins running under it. Cara looked at her closely. Something was strange with those azure eyes. She has never seen such eyes before because there were no men or women in the world with eyes dark and at the same time bright as sky in spring. It seemed as if they changed their color from the light blue to the darkest Prussian blue. Little Snow White clenched her hands together and hugged her knees when Cara approached.

"_What's your name?"_ she demanded. Mord'Sith never asked, they ordered.

"_Aisha."_ Girl mumbled.

"_Pronounce clearly!"_ Cara grabbed little girl by the shoulder and made her fly up to her feet.

"_Aisha Jones."_ She said but didn't lift up her voice.

"_She's a daughter of a tavern owner."_ Triana told her agiel's sister.

"_I think I'll start your education right now."_ Cara said pulling girl to the exit.

"_Great! I've never been at school before."_ The child said eagerly to start. Cara smiled evilly.

She pushed child into a torture room. The girl fell on the floor.

"_Do you know who I am?"_ Cara asked the kid, who stood up and rubbed her bruised knee.

"_Don't know but you told that you want to educate me. I consider you're my teacher. You have to be a little bit gentler if you want me to learn anything, because I can't concentrate when you pushing and pulling me." _Now all the Mord'Sith in the room smiled. Cara stopped her speech by a hard slap across child's face. Aisha landed on the floor. She covered her burning cheek with her palm with long slender fingers but didn't shed a tear.

"_Can you tell me at least what to do before you slap me again. You'll be disappointed but I'm quick on the draw."_ Aisha said standing up.

"_Shut up!"_ Cara retorted. _"You are among the Mord'Sith and you'll become one after the education."_ She slapped her harder.

Three days of torture passed. Aisha was an understanding child. She quickly studied the idea of pleasing her mistress. Telling the truth she understood the idea shortly after two hours of torture. She told Cara that she would do anything her mistress asked but when she tried to escape that very night Cara decided not to believe that girl with azure eyes. Day after day she beat the kid with her agiel but she didn't cry like other children. She just hissed to each touch of the agiel. The cell where they kept her was damp and dark. Rats moved to and fro. They bit her skinny toes, fingers and ears. She refused to eat twice in a row and they haven't given her any food two for days already. She drank only water.

"_How's our mermaid?"_ Cara asked a Mord'Sith who was in charge of new students. She gave the girl a nickname, because she thought it suited her better. That girl just hadn't a tail to become a mermaid. _"Hasn't she begged for mercy yet?"_

"_No, I think she'll die."_ Alina answered.

"_Pity."_ Cara said her face expressing nothing. _"She could have become the strongest Mord'Sith."_

Aisha sat on the floor of her cell and watched a rat sniffing the air next to her bare feet ready to bite. Her eyes get accustomed to the dark, so, she clearly saw her torturer. She grabbed fat rat with both her hands and broke its neck. She was tired, hungry and her whole body was in pain. She was sitting there in the dark for an hour or so. Her head was light. She thought as if she was buried alive. The girl was going insane. Her hands worked mechanically. They were already covered in rat's blood. Child grabbed rats, which came too close and broke their spine. Rats died with a soft peep and hands put them down in a heap near her. Aisha didn't notice tears running down her cheeks when the door opened and Cara with a torch entered the cell.

"_Wow, I thought they have already had you at breakfast."_ She looked at dead rats. _"Impressive."_

"_May I have something to eat." _The girl pleaded.

"_May I have something to eat, Mistress Cara."_ Mord'Sith corrected her prey.

"_May I have something to eat, Mistress Cara." _Aisha repeated obediently.

"_You already have."_ Cara pointed at dead rats lying on the floor.

Dark blue stare glided Cara's face and fell down on the heap of rats. The child gulped. She hid face in her hands and started to sob uncontrollably. Mord'Sith celebrated her victory. Aisha didn't fulfil Cara's suggestion but she cried. For the girls like Aisha tears were signs of weakness and defeat. She was defeated.

"_Stand up!" _

The girl obeyed. She stood on her shaking legs and tried to wipe away tears with her hands but instead she spread rat's blood all over her pale face. Child silently followed her torturer. Tears fell on the floor all the way to the torture room. She looked quietly at the Mord'Sith when they chained her. Aisha let the tears stream down her face but she didn't say a word.

"_You know, you can stop this."_ Cara said touching child's face with her gloved hand.

"_How?"_ poor girl asked. She was already lifted up in the air by the chains on her wrists.

"_How, Mistress Cara!"_ Mord'Sith slapped her hard. Blood ran from Aisha's bruised lips.

"_How, Mistress Cara?"_ she mumbled nearly losing her consciousness.

"_You'll follow my orders. You'll obey anything I say even if I tell you to jump from a cliff. You have to call me Mistress Cara. Now your life is in my hands."_ She whispered in child's ear.

Aisha stopped crying. She looked in teacher's eyes and her dark blue oceans sparkled.

"_Beat me to death."_ She told Cara quietly. Her body began shaking with pain of agiel. A few minutes later she was free from hell. Aisha looked at her body hanging down from chains like a small worthless sack. Her soul laughed at the Mord'Sith until her body inhaled air. She opened her eyes to see Cara's face. Fear spread all over poor girl. She screamed with pain and horrible fear.

"_What do you want to say now?"_ Cara asked coldly.

"_Command me, Mistress Cara."_ Mermaid sobbed.

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bess**

**Part 2**

Cara ordered to bring food to the girl. A slave came with a tureen of pea soup. It was hot and steam rose from the tureen. They didn't give child a spoon or anything to eat the soup. Aisha decided to drink it from the bowl but Cara stopped her. She put the tureen on the ground.

"_You'll eat like a dog."_ She commanded.

"_I can't!"_ The girl refused to obey and Cara boxed her ears.

"_You'll eat like a dog or you won't eat at all!"_ Mord'Sith hissed.

Aisha scowled but she was very hungry. She looked at soup and laid on the floor, because the bowl was too low to eat on all fours. Girl put her elbows on the ground and started to sip the soup from tureen's brim. It was hot and she burned her lips, but she was too hungry to stop. This food was the first she had in two days.

"_What you have to tell me?"_ Cara demanded kicking her prey.

"_Thank you, Mistress Cara."_ Aisha mumbled.

"_Give her a bath. She stinks."_ She ordered Alina and Triana then left the room.

An hour later Alina ran in audience chamber where Cara was talking to a general. She tried to look cold as a Mord'Sith but Cara saw that Alina seemed too agitated. She knew how to read her agiel sisters. She sent the general away giving him some kind of recommendation and turned to Alina.

"_Speak!"_ She ordered.

"_Cara, she killed the slave. We had to kill her, she was out of control."_ Alina reported _"We have to use our agiels to calm her down."_

"_To calm who?" _Cara asked in a low voice.

"_Aisha, she attacked the slave, who was going to bathe her. She tore her throat with one bite. We couldn't stop the bleeding. Girl tore her artery, poor Gwen bleed to death."_ She told the head of the Mord'Sith on their way to bathing room for slaves.

Cara entered the room and saw an old woman in a puddle of blood lying on the floor and a young girl's dead body not far from the woman. Bruises on her legs and face told her that they were caused by agiels. Child's mouth was covered with woman's blood as well as her simple, dirty dress.

"_What did she do?"_ Cara asked Triana looking at the bodies lying on the floor.

"_She attacked Gwen. I don't know what happened. I was in a passage when I heard a scream. Alina was with them all the time."_ She told her boss.

"_What did Gwen do when Aisha attacked her?"_ Cold blue eyes pierced Alina.

"_She asked her to strip down. Girl refused to do so. I used my agiel to make her do what she was asked for. When I took agiel away she attacked Gwen like she was a beast or something. I used agiel again, but it didn't help much. Together with Triana we tried to get her away from Gwen. She turned to attack me but I stopped her heart with agiel."_ Alina explained the situation.

"_You want to tell me, that two Mord'Sith can't control a child?"_ Cara faced both sisters with a grin.

"_She's not a child. She's some kind of a beasty creature. Look at Gwen's throat. Can you bite a person to tear her carotid? She did it in seconds." _Triana pointed to the wound on woman's throat.

"_Strip her down."_ Cara ordered.

"_What for? She's dead. We can bring her to life with a Breath of Life but I'm not sure we have to do that."_ Triana insisted.

"_Take off her clothes. I want to see why she didn't want to show us."_ Cara repeated her order.

Alina tore apart girl's dress. Child's body was covered with bruises, wounds and scratches. Cara saw it before none of three women gasped or hesitated looking at the dead girl's body. Her breasts didn't develop yet but still you wanted to touch that white marble skin. It seemed as if it was made of velvet even with bruises and scratches. Her white hair covered in blood hid a part of her body.

"_Turn her over."_ The head of Mord'Sith commanded.

She looked at girl's back and something attracted Cara's attention. She squatted and pulled child's panties down on an inch. She saw a scar at coccyx. It was cauterized before but still the tailbone protruded on a centimeter. Cara turned the girl and started to examine girl's head with her hands. She touched and suddenly felt two little knobs. Man couldn't notice them under that white curly hair. The examination of girl's body made Cara think. She was really surprised by the discoveries she found on the body.

"_Tell Leyla to wash the body. Chain Aisha to the rack, revive her with the Breath of Life and lock the room. Guard her outside the room. I need to talk to her dad." _Cara ordered. Alina and Triana exchanged glances but executed her order.

Cara went into the vault. She saw a fat dirty man sitting on the floor eating pottage. When she entered his cell he put the bowl down and crawled to her mistress. Cara run her hand over his bald spot and her fingers clasped his fat neck. She pressed harder and man cried.

"_Please, don't hurt me, Mistress Cara. I'll do anything for you."_ He whined looking at Cara with servility.

"_Sedrick, tell me. Is Aisha your daughter?"_ She asked looking down at his filthy disgusting form.

"_Yes, Mistress Cara. She's mine one and only."_ He answered caressing her leg.

She hit him hard across the face with her gloved hand: _"Tell me the truth or I make you do it."_ She took her agiel and stopped her hand in an inch from his face. He pushed aside in horror.

"_No, no. I lied. She isn't my daughter. My wife and I couldn't have children for a long time. When one day a woman came in the tavern and gave us the baby my wife was on top of the world. She gave us money and told to raise the kid as our own. We did so."_ The man explained.

"_Describe me the woman."_ Cara demanded.

"_She was a middle-aged woman, tall, with long dark hair and cold grey eyes. She had thin lips and her face. I can't explain but her eyes were stern and at the same time calm as yours are."_ Mr. Jones described starring eagerly at Cara.

"_Snake."_ Cara thought to herself. _"Where is your wife?"_ Cara asked the man.

"_She died five years ago. She loved Aisha with all her heart but I love her too. I love her very much. She's my treasure."_ He continued and rubbed his hands.

These words alerted the head of the Mord'Sith. She threw man's head back and threatened him with agiel: _"Did you rape your daughter?"_

"_Rape? No, no, no one raped her. I'll kill anybody, who encroaches on my treasure." _He said smiling evilly.

"_Why then she's so afraid to take off her clothes?"_ Cara demanded sternly.

"_Aisha? She has never been afraid of this."_ He boasted. Cara poked him with agiel. Man screamed in pain.

"_What did you do to her? And don't lie to me, 'cause I'm in a bad mood today!" _She poked him again.

"_I sold her. I've made a glass cylinder with holes where you could put a hand and caress the person in it. I did it for her, for my treasure. I like to touch her. She is so beautiful, so I decided to give others the pleasure to touch that beauty. I made the cylinder and put Aisha naked inside. Those, who paid, could shove their hands and caress her. She liked it. She always liked it so much. They didn't do any harm to her. She's still a virgin. "_ His eyes sparkled with desire.

Cara smashed him against the wall. She hit his head against the wall until he fell unconscious to the ground. She broke his jaw, his nose. The man was covered in blood. She called Berdine and Raina and told them to torture him slowly and painfully to death. Then she went to the meeting hall and told the Mord'Sith to gather there. They quickly followed the order.

"_Who recruited Aisha?"_ She asked her agiel sisters.

Rikka made a step forward: _"I did."_

Cara approached and smacked Mord'Sith in the face. Rikka shook but didn't fall down. She touched her bruised lips and saw blood on her brown gloved hand.

"_How could you take the girl? Jones isn't her father! How can I finish the education?"_ Cara shouted at Rikka.

"_But everybody in the village swore he was her father."_ Rikka justified.

"_You've made a mistake! Now I have to make her a slave, because you didn't find time to check her story. She has already killed Gwen, if slaughtering continues you'll be the one responsible!"_ Cara looked Rikka right in the eyes. _"Pray the Creator to hold the girl in leash or you'll be the first whom she kills."_

Cara went to one of the torture rooms. Triana and Alina stood on guard near the room where Aisha lied on the rack.

"_How has she been doing all the time you were here?"_ Cara asked sisters.

"_I think we should kill her."_ Triana told her boss. _"She wasn't behaving as a child. She behaved like a beast."_

"_She scratched the boards of the rack with her nails and she screamed, not screamed, howled like an evil spirit trying to free herself. She stopped half an hour ago. This is not a girl."_ Alina supported Triana's words.

"_Open the door!"_ Cara commanded. They opened it and wanted to follow their boss, but she stopped them, entered the room and closed the door.

Aisha was sleeping chained to the rack. She was only in her panties. Cara saw little wood chips under girl's white hands. She scratched fingers to blood. The child was sweating and curly locks stuck to her forehead. Cara gently took sweaty hair away. Aisha opened her eyes. They changed their color. The light of torch reflected in girl's eyes as if her eyes were made of light bluish water. Cara even saw ripples in them. Child looked at the Mord'Sith.

"_Would you kill your father?"_ Cara asked the kid.

"_With pleasure, Mistress Cara."_ was the answer.

"_If he dies nobody will take care of you."_ She told the girl.

"_It doesn't matter. Don't revive me again and I'll be with my mom forever."_ Aisha replied.

"_I don't want to torture you anymore. You're free or you can stay and serve me, it's your choice."_ Cara made an offer.

"_I serve Mistress Cara." _The child responded.

Cara released the girl.

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Bess**

**Part 3**

Cara has been absent for two weeks. She went to the city Arabia on a commission from Warlock Dracul. He was the new king of D'Hara after the Seeker killed Darken Rahl he became the king of Midlands. Richard Cypher couldn't have imagines that with the death of Lord Rahl more powerful evil would come to the earth. Warlock defended the Imperial Order but also he made all people and creatures his slaves. Warlock Dracul was the evil itself, he was a demon, who killed and enslaved people with a snap of his fingers. It was his crazy idea to create Mord'Sith, broken women, who would serve Darken Rahl and then him. Cara managed to protect her sisters from Warlock only because she was his lover long ago and sometimes she shared his bed. It was their mutual agreement. He wouldn't touch Mord'Sith until she was his call girl. She hated it but she was responsible for agiel sisters. She couldn't sacrifice them it wasn't an option for her.

All the time when the head of the Mord'Sith was absent Aisha has spent in hospital wing. He body recovered from two deaths, a great number of bruises, gashes and several broken bones. The girl was thankful that nobody tortured her anymore.

"_Berdine, call Hally, please. I need to talk to her."_ Cara asked the Mord'Sith who was in charge of everything here when Cara's been absent.

"_You wanted to see me."_ A woman in brown leather asked walking into the chamber.

"_Yeah, is the girl, who killed your slave, healed?"_

"_Yes, Mistress. Can I take her as my slave?" _She asked for permission.

"_No. I'll give you my Katee as a replacement for Gwen."_ Cara said simply.

"_But Cara, she's a ten year-old girl. She doesn't know anything yet. Katee is the most obedient slave and she got used to her duty. She'll do anything for you."_ Hally objected the decision of her boss.

"_Don't worry, Hally. This girl learns fast and no one can resist an agiel, besides she passed one stage of education. I'm her Mistress, she'll do anything I order."_ Cara approached Hally and looked her in the eyes. _"Send her to Katee's room."_

"_With pleasure. Thank you for the best slave ever." _Hally left the room.

Each Mord'Sith had a slave. All of them were previously girl, who didn't pass the education for some reason or the other. Some of them were women whom Mord'Sith dragged here to serve them because of their skills in different professions: sewing, healing, cooking, etc. Personal slaves served Mord'Sith. They did all the dirty work for their Mistresses such as boot-cleaning, room service, mopping the floors, feeding and cleaning horses, washing, cooking and other things Mord'Sith didn't do themselves. Each slave was responsible for fulfilling her Mistress orders as well as for doing other kind of work about the castle.

Aisha was pushed into a small room with a niche in the wall for clothes, a straw mattress with a quilt, a stool with a basin on it. Walls were made of grey, doleful stones and one small window with a grating on it faced a beautiful garden. There were two doors in the room. Through one door the child has just come into the room and the other led nobody knew where. Aisha hasn't noticed a bell right above the second door until it began ringing. She lifted up her head and stared at the bell. Girl quickly jumped aside when somebody suddenly opened the second door. Cara stood in the doorway watching the girl.

"_How long should I wait for you to come!"_ Cara shouted at the child. Aisha drew herself together ready for the blow. She was surprised that it didn't follow the yell. Mord'Sith stood there watching the girl. Her skin was white velvet again, she had the same dark azure eyes not the light watery blue she had had last time Cara saw her. The only change was her hair. It was cut to her jaw line because slaves couldn't have hair longer than their Mistresses. The girl was so curly that looking at her you could see a dandelion's instead of a child's head. You wanted to take one of the curls and pull it to see how a stretched spiral becomes a spring again. She was a pure beauty in shape even in her simple, brown sleeveless dress made of rough material and straw sandals on her small feet.

"_I didn't know what to do, Mistress Cara. I'm sorry."_ Aisha apologized rumpling her baggy dress. _"What can I do for you?"_

Cara looked at that innocent angel's face and smirked: _"Cut the comedy! We both know that you're a hard nut to crack and I didn't break you. You can't behave as my pet eager to fulfil any of my wicked wishes. Why didn't you escape? You had two weeks. You could be in adindril by now!"_

"_I should be a slave for what I did to that innocent woman I killed in the bathroom."_ The child told her.

"You try to receive forgiveness by being a slave." Cara laughed. _"You know being a slave is much worse than dancing naked in a glass cylinder."_

Aisha's eyes became darker than the sky at night.

"_I'll do whatever you ask me except your latter comment."_ Girl hissed.

"_What? You want to scare me?"_ She laughed again. _"Becoming a slave you've lost all your wishes and dreams. Now only my word is a rule for you, remember it! Don't try to escape, because that string-ring on your ankle is magical. If you run father than a league from here it will pierce into your ankle and will cut your foot."_ Cara warned the girl.

"_I won't go anywhere."_ Aisha mumbled. _"I'm here to serve you, Mistress Cara."_

"_Fine. Bring two buckets of hot water and pour it in the tank. I want to have a hot shower."_ She ordered.

It took Aisha fifteen minutes to bring one bucket with boiled water to Cara's room.

"_Only one bucket? I said two!"_ Mord'Sith yelled angrily at the child.

"_I can't carry two buckets at the same time. They are too heavy."_ The girl protested. Than this will make you move faster and bring the other. She slapped Aisha across the face. This time it took the slave thirteen minutes to bring the bucket, but she splashed some water. The dress was wet and it stuck to her hip her leg from hip to ankle blistered.

"_You're clumsy."_ Cara noted. She took the bucket from shivering girl and poured it into the tank. _"Take it away and go to hospital wing. They'll take care of the burn then go to your room. I'll wake you early tomorrow."_ Mord'Sith said coldly unfastening her belts. _"Go!"_

Aisha took the bucket and with eyes full of tears and sore leg limped to the hospital. He life as a slave began…


	4. Chapter 4

**The Bess**

**Part 4**

Cara slowly got round Aisha treating with partiality her appearance. The child stood in a puddle of mud not far from a hen coop. Her face and arms were in mud too. Her dress was dirty and the hem was torn. An empty bucket rolled on the ground.

"_Look at you. A week had passed and I didn't touch you except your first day when you were serving me. What I see? You burnt you leg, you have a gash on your arm. I don't even mention all the bruises and scratches you have. How could you be so clumsy?"_ Cara's blue eyes pierced the back of girl's head because she guiltily examined the ground.

"_I'm sorry, Mistress Cara."_ She forced the words to escape her mouth.

"_I'm the head of the Mord'Siths and I have the lamest slave ever!"_ Cara continued her execution.

"_But I do my work well, don't I."_ the girl protested looking her Mistress in the eyes.

"_Yes, and this is really surprising. You didn't know how to plait one's hair, and now you make me a French braid. Other slaves tell me that if you don't know anything they show you one time and you do it better than people who've been doing this work all their lives."_

"_Why then are you disappointed?" _She asked Cara.

"_How do you manage to do that? How do you learn so fast?"_ Mord'Soth interrogated her slave.

"_I don't know. I just do. That's all."_ The girl answered.

"_How did you get so many bruises?"_ Cara continued asking questions.

"_Swift learning has some disadvantages."_ Aisha shrugged her shoulders.

"_What happened here?"_

"_I slipped and dropped the bucket._" The child said mumbled.

Of course it was a lie and Cara knew it very well. Every Mord'Sith had the right to punish each slave in the castle if she considered the job was done horribly. Slaves who spent years here also punished the new ones only to make them respect their work. But there was another disaster for weak slaves – girls Mord'Sith, who continued their education. They have been treated rudely and they have been tortured from morning till midnight. It was a part of education, breaking the girl was the most important occupation of a teacher. They were trained with a mixture of torture and pleasure and this training made their minds explode. Children' fragile psychic broke and they became beasty creatures with no mercy in hearts. Hate and malice ruled in their heads. All the slaves were afraid of young Mord'Siths. Their games were cruel. They liked to make fun of weak people. Their jokes were terrible. They wanted to show their power but their minds produced only one way to show it by jeering at their prey. Aisha became a prey too. Cara saw her a few minutes ago. The girl wanted to pour fresh water into hen's basin. Two young Mord'Siths pushed her. She lost the balance and fell on the ground in the puddle of mud. Girls started to laugh at her. Aisha stood up, but one of the Mord'Siths hit her burnt leg with a stick and the child fell back again. When girls saw Cara approaching them, they quickly disappeared in the forest. Older women knew about these games and sometimes punished the students if the slave was damaged badly, but they also knew that this was the only entertainment those girls had. So, agiel sisters tried not to pay much attention to the games.

"_Go, wash yourself, change and wash your dress. Then go to Paula, she's a seamstress and ask her to show you how to sew the dress. I don't want my slave to look as a pig."_ Cara ordered.

"_And you don't even hit me or smack me? I mean others do this with pleasure if I do something wrong." _The child asked surprised that she didn't kick her or pull her hair.

"_Why? Do you want me to do it? Do you like pain?"_ Mord'Sith asked curiously looking at the girl.

"_No, but as a see it's a tradition in here to smack slaves for every little mistake they do."_ She answered.

"_You are already black and blue, besides it's not me who will wash your clothes and mend your dress."_

Girl took the bucket ready to leave but Cara stopped her.

"_Aisha!"_ She said.

"_Yes, Mistress Cara."_

"_I want you to sit near the training ground and watch the Mord'Siths training when you'll be polishing my boots." _She told the girl.

"_Why?"_

"_It's an order. I don't want my slave to discuss it!" _Cara hissed.

"_I'm sorry, Mistress Cara, I will."_ Aisha turned away and strode to the castle.

Day after day Aisha served her Mistress. She cleaned Cara's room, polished her boots, cleaned her leather, plaited the braid, brought water to the shower and took away the chamber pot. These weren't all the duties she fulfilled in the castle. Every Mord'Sith could give her an order and if she had free time she had to carry it out or she would be beaten. She cleaned pots in the kitchen, washed floor in the bathrooms, fed poultry and pigs. The girl was everywhere. In the evening she crawled to her straw mattress almost exhausted. Every cell of her body aching but the child didn't complain. She did her work with pleasure though bruises were multiplying because of two young Mord'Siths for whom she became their own prey.

It was an ordinary morning. Aisha helped her Mistress to dress up, combed and plaited her hair, then cleaned the dust from furniture and took the chamber pot to pour it out. She headed along a dark hall for servants to the boghouse when suddenly two girls with agiels appeared from nowhere in front of her. She stopped.

"_Well, well, what do we have here?"_ Christa, a thirteen year-old Mord'Sith, asked with a jeer taking out her weapon. Aisha made two steps back but Tabita, a twelve year-old girl was already standing behind her back.

"_Ghost takes outside her Mistress's leftover."_ Christa grinned wickedly.

"_Let me go!"_ girl with white hair said softly licking her dry lips.

"_You have to call me Mistress Christa!"_ the girl yelled and slapped a ten year-old hard across the face. Aisha nearly dropped the jordan.

"_Please, let me go, Mistress Christa."_ She begged her torturers.

"_Not until you drink it."_ Christa told her prey coldly.

"_I won't do that!"_ Aisha hissed and Tabita poked her neck with agiel. Pain embraced the slave and she got to her knees. Christa was quick enough to take the jordan from unclasping hands. The pain was so severe that girl lost her breath but she didn't open her mouth because the Mord'Sith took off the lid and was ready to pour the urine in her mouth if she cried aloud. Christa tried hard to open girl's mouth with her free hand but she couldn't. The tormentor took her agiel and jabbed it at Aisha's shoulder. The girl couldn't resist the pain anymore. She cried aloud and at this very moment contents of chamber-pot were poured on her face.

"_Enough!"_ a voice from behind commanded.

Young Mord'Siths took away their agiels immediately. They were caught. Nevertheless they were satisfied with the trick. Aisha was vomiting on the floor. Her face and dress was wet with urine, her body was shaking though she didn't shed a tear. This frustrated two girls a little.

"_Disappear!"_ Berdine ordered and two girls run away as fast as rabbits. _"You!"_ She watched Aisha trying to stand up. _"Clean up the mess and wash the whole passage with soap!"_ Berdine left the slave standing in the dark hall.

That night Cara heard sobs coming from Aisha's room. It was the first time since her education when the girl sobbed uncontrollably. The head of the Mord'Sith didn't come to child's room to soothe her though she knew quite well what had happened. Berdine wanted to torture the young sisters of agiel severely but Cara forbade the woman to do so. She had other plans for Christa and Tabita.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Bess**

**Part 5**

The next morning bell in Aisha's room rang and she hurried to her Mistress. Cara saw that girl's eyes were red of tears. The Mord'Sith played it cool.

"_Give me my agiels!"_ She ordered.

Aisha didn't hesitate, she took two rods from a night-table. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips hard not to shout from pain which overcame her fragile body. Girl turned to the Mord'Sith who was standing calmly near her bed and pierced her slave with ocean blue eyes. Aisha came closer to the Mistress to give her the weapons. She stretched her hands but Cara didn't take agiels.

"_Here you are, Mistress Cara."_ Girl said trying not to shiver from pain. Mord'Sith looked at her with an evil smile playing on her face.

"_Want to show me that you don't feel the pain?"_ She asked sarcastically.

"_Take them, please, or I'll drop them."_ Aisha hissed.

Cara didn't stir a finger. A ten year-old made a step and sheathed two agiels in scabbard on her Mistress' hip.

"_Very bold of you."_ She noted staring at Aisha. "_Have you watched Mord'Siths' training as I told you?"_ Cara asked the girl who was now cleaning the dust from shelves.

"_Yes, Mistress Cara. I've watched."_ The girl answered continuing her work.

"_I want you to be at a dungeon in the evening. Don't be late!"_ Mord'Sith ordered and left the room.

Aisha couldn't banish Cara's words from her mind. Whatever she has been doing that day she thought about the dark cells of dungeon where they were torturing girls for becoming Mord'Siths. She remembered her own 'education' and she blessed the Creator that they turned her into a slave, though sometimes slave's fate was much worse than the Mord'Sith's. The only thing the girl wanted that the sun didn't set that day. The evening came no matter what she wanted. Aisha went to the dungeon where Cara has been waiting for her.

"_What took you so long?"_ Cara demanded coldly.

"_Mistress Raina asked me to wash the floor in the hall."_ Aisha told the Mord'Sith. It was the truth. She was at back and call the whole day. Her body ached from all the hard work she did today and from agiels those two girls poked her with yesterday.

"_Follow me!"_ the Mord'Sith ordered merciless.

They walked along a long curvy dungeon with cells for victims of the Mord'Sith, their trainees and parents who would be killed by their own daughters. Cara opened the wooden door of the last room of the dungeon. Walls were made of cold cobble-stones. There wasn't anything in this room, just the walls, four corners, four torches to light each wall and two young Mord'Siths were standing waiting for them. Aisha recognized them immediately. Christa and Tabita looked at their precious prey with glowing eyes. Their expressions said that it would be a pleasure to torture 'the Ghost' again.

"_Did these two play a trick on you yesterday?"_ Cara demanded looking down at a frightened girl.

"_No, Mistress Cara, I haven't seen them since the beginning of the week." _She lied trying not to shiver in front of her Mistress. The woman hit her hard and Aisha fell on the floor. Of course gloved hand with thorns on them made girl's lips bleed.

"_Never lie to me, do you understand?"_ Cara yelled pulling the slave up on her feet. The Mord'Sith unsheathed her agiels. _"Take them!" _

"_No, no, please. I don't wanna take them. They cause too much pain."_ Aisha pleaded her Mistress and made two steps back.

"_I said take them!"_ Cara insisted and shoved deadly rods in Aisha's hands. Pain struck the girl. _"Two agiels against two trained Mord'Siths. I think it is fair!" _

"_No, please, I don't want to fight with them! I can't fight!" _the child shivered.

"_Kill her!"_ Cara ordered Christa and Tabita who were really satisfied with pleasure the head of the Mord'Siths granted them.

Tabita quickly reduced the distance between her and the prey. She poked 'the Ghost' with agiel in the stomach. Aisha bent and one of her agiels fell on the floor. She gasped and made a step back. Christa was already standing behind her back. Another wave of pain struck girl's body. She thought her spine was broken and she wouldn't be able to move again. Aisha fell on her knees. Tabita was going to jab her with the rod in face but she was astonished when Aisha blocked the movement with her agiel. She used her left fist to blow the Mord'Sith in solar plexus. It was a stroke of a ten year old girl, though it gave her time to roll to the right and escape Christa's agiel poked to her back. On the way to her feet she took another agiel from the floor and stood up in a fighting position with two weapons in hands. Christa and Tabita made out they haven't noticed it. Christa was the first to attack. Agiel flew in an inch from Aisha's head. She turned aside, blocked Tabita's agiel which was going to struck her chest and kicked Christa in the stomach. The thirteen year-old bent but didn't fall. Tabita continued her attack. She used her agiel to poke Aisha in face but the girl blocked her movement. So, she back heeled Aisha, falling down Aisha's foot got hold of Tabita's ankle and both girls were on the floor. Slave jabbed the Mord'Sith with agiel in the face but Christa came closer ready to kick her in the abdomen. Aisha was faster she hit girl's knee with her foot and jumped to her feet. Christa and Tabita pressed their enemy to one of the corners. Aisha drew back until she hit the opposite wall. It was a trap. She was trapped in the corner like a mouse. Aisha blocked Tabita's attack but Christa's agiel brushed her shoulder. The girl hissed with pain. She smashed the twelve year-old with her agiel, causing the girl drop to her knees, blocked Christa's attempt to poke her neck and pushed her agiel in girl's stomach. Christa fell on her knees too. Aisha used their shoulder as support to her hands and jumped over them without turning around she jabbed her agiels at the back of girl's neck. She pressed them hard for a minute. It made two Mord'Siths fall on the floor unconscious. Then she turned to watch the girls on the floor. Her knees buckled. She let her agiels hit the floor and sat on her knees tears running down her cheeks.

"_What I've done?"_ She looked at two bodies lying on the floor. Aisha touched their hands crying over her former tormentors. _"I'm so sorry!" _

Cara clapped her hands. _"I thought you didn't know how to fight."_ She said sarcastically coming closer to the girls. The woman looked at Aisha mourning over the bodies and saw black tears running down slave's cheeks. They hit the ground and turned to dust. Aisha was crying, touching the girls and repeating that she was sorry. Other strange thing was that bruises covering Mord'Siths' faces vanished. Few minutes passed. Girls regained their consciousness. They both sat up and Christa was ready to hit Aisha hard across the face when Cara's hand stopped her.

"_Don't even think about it!"_ the woman hissed.

She asked both girls to stand up. Aisha was sitting on the floor. Her body rocked back and forth. Her eyes were watery blue again. The room reflected in them like in a pool of light blue water but the color of tears changed from black to normal.

"_Take off your clothes!"_ She ordered the trainees.

"_What for?"_ Tabita protested.

"_I said strip down!"_ Cara insisted.

Girls started to unfasten the belts on their chests and taking off their clothes. Cara stopped them when she saw their naked torsos. She was shocked. These girls were covered in gashes, bruises and scratches. Now there wasn't even an old scar on their skin.

"_May I ask what this is all about?"_ Christa asked rudely piercing Cara with her grey eyes.

"_Look at you two. She healed you. How do you feel?"_ Cara retorted.

Half naked girls looked at their arms and breasts. The pain was gone with all the bruises. They couldn't believe their eyes.

"_I don't feel any pain."_ Tabita was the first to answer.

"_Me too."_ Christa confirmed. They turned a surprising stare to Aisha but she looked at the floor rocking back and forth as if she lost contact with reality.

"_Put on your clothes. I don't want to mention that two trained Mord'Siths were beaten by a slave, do you?"_ Cara asked the girls.

"_No, of course not."_ They answered in chorus.

"_Fine then. Mine lips are sealed yours are too."_ The woman assured and told them to leave her.

She kneed next to Aisha. The Mord'Sith put her hand on girl's rocking form and she felt the warmth washing over her body. Tears on Aisha's face turned black again. Cara didn't want to take her hand away. She felt the warmth even through the glove. It was calming. It was like all the good things that happened to her were with her again. The feeling of purity and happiness was overwhelming. It resembled the feeling of an unborn child still in his mother's belly, so warm and safe. She made an effort to break the touch. She took away her hand. It reminded Cara of where she was.

"_You must kill me. I'm a monster."_ Aisha turned her face to the Mord'Sith.

"_No, you're not."_ Cara ran her hand over girl's head. _"You healed them."_

"_I nearly killed them like that old woman. I don't even know how to fight but I was fighting like them. I don't know how I do this. I have to die. I don't want to hurt anybody." _The girl cried.

"_Aisha, it's not your fault. I told you to watch trainings of the Mord'Siths. You carried out my order. You've learned the fighting just watching the training. You used all the movements we train our students."_ Cara touched girl's cheek.

"_Why did you ask me to watch them?"_ Watery blue eyes looked up at her face.

"_I had a theory and you proved it to be right."_ She said standing up. _"Come on, let's go." _Cara was starring at girl's pale face giving her a hand to stand on her feet.

"_I'm so tired."_ Aisha said taking Cara's hands and black tears washed her face once again. The Mord'Sith understood quite well that when the girl touched somebody or a hurt person touched her she healed them but it took the strength away. She had already healed two persons. Now when Cara took her hand she continued healing her Mistress. The girl didn't control the power at least at the moment. Cara let go of Aisha's hand. The child swayed but was still standing. The Mord'Sith took her agiels from the floor.

"_Let's go!"_ She ordered.

Only ten minutes passed when Cara pushed the slave in her room and made the girl lie down on a straw mattress. For Aisha the way to her room was a long journey where she touched the walls along halls not to fall down. She was exhausted. Cara took the quilt and covered Aisha's fragile body with it. The Mord'Sith noticed a doll made of straw and twigs. If she saw this in the room of a young Mord'Sith she would have beaten the student to blood, but this child was just her slave. Cara took the hand-made doll and placed it in Aisha's hands. The girl fall asleep pressing the doll to her chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Bess**

**Part 6**

_**You asked me, when this story takes place. Right after the end of the first season when Cara helped the Seeker to defeat Lord Rahl. I have changed the story, besides it is mine interpretation. Rahl is long gone in the Underworld. He was a marionette in hands of absolute evil Warlock Dracul. He used Rahl to subdue the people and he neutralized Darken Rahl with Seeker's hands to become a single Emperor on Earth. He enslaved nations but the Seeker was now at the head of the Resistance movement against Warlock Dracul, the son of the Keeper.**_

Cara got dressed. She was plaiting her hair when Aisha came into the room. The girl looked pale. Her face was covered with bruises, her lips swelled up. She had a black eye and her hair was a mess. Her curly head looked like a mop.

"_Good morning, Mistress Cara. Why didn't you wake me up?"_ Aisha asked staring at the Mord'Sith, who plaited her own hair.

"_I tried, but it seemed to me you were probably deaf or were out, 'cause I have nearly torn the rope of the bell."_ She finished plaiting the braid. It was a lie. Cara thought that after healing three persons yesterday the girl couldn't be of any help today. She let her sleep.

"_Can I do anything for you, Mistress Cara?"_ the girl was shocked. She was so deep in her sleep that she didn't hear the bell.

"_Yeah, take a bag with provision from the kitchen and go to the stable, give the bag to a groom and tell him to prepare two horses for me and Mistress Berdine. Then bring two meals from the kitchen to my room. Go!"_ Cara put on her gloves.

Aisha hurried to fulfil the order. When she came back with a tray full with food Berdine was already sitting at the table talking to her Mistress. The girl placed the plates and cups in front of women.

"_Anything else, Mistress Cara?"_ the child asked the Mord'Sith.

"_No. I'll be absent for two weeks. Mistress Triana will be in charge. You will follow her orders. Now go to the hospital wing. I want you to be healthy when I come and punish you for today's behavior."_ Cara said as a matter of fact.

"_Yes, Mistress Cara."_ Aisha bowed and left the room.

Two weeks passed quickly. Two Mord'Siths came back. Cara went to Triana because she couldn't find her slave anywhere.

"_Triana, where is my slave?"_ Cara demanded the woman with black hair who was eating her dinner.

"_She is playing her part in the game."_ Triana replied cutting a piece of meat on her plate and sending it in her mouth.

"_You put her in the game?"_ Cara's eyes went wide. _"Why?"_

"_She couldn't carry out my orders appropriately."_ Triana said coldly.

"_Pray for nobody to be killed!"_ She wanted to storm out from the room when two teen Mord'Siths ran inside. Their red leather was dirty and cut as if somebody cut clothes with a knife. Only there were four deep cuts one at the same distance from another. Blood streamed from the gashes on both sides of the teen Mord'Sith's back caused by this strange kind of weapon. One of them fainted on the floor from the loss of blood.

"_Mistress Triana, Cara!"_ the other girl cried in a shock. _"Girl, the slave, she's not a girl anymore! She has killed Melissa and Greta."_

Cara grabbed the young Mord'Sith by the shoulders for her not to hit the ground. She ordered to bring the healers to the chamber. Triana stood up quickly and followed her boss to look what had happened.

The game was a special training for the teenager Mord'Siths, who were ready to join the ranks of agiel sisters. It was an entertainment for the girls who already killed their parents, like their reward. A young woman had to hunt her prey and to torture him or her to death. The preys were chosen from the slaves or kidnapped people. They were former soldiers, trained men and women. These people could fight, but nobody gave them weapons. The only thing for them was, to hide in the forest and find a strong stick to protect themselves from the Mord'Siths. Slaves were taken only if they were too old for work or if they disobeyed the Mistress. All of them had a string-ring or a bracelet on their ankles. It meant they couldn't get father than a league from the castle or the string would cut their feet. The castle was built in a wild forest. The preys had a chance to hide in it. Within two days the game was over and if the slave wasn't found he/she remained alive, but no one could hide from a trained Mord'Sith. It was a death game. Even strong, healthy warriors died from the tortures of these women-monsters.

It took Cara and Triana an hour to find Aisha in the wood. She sat near a trunk of an old tree, her bloody arms embraced knees, her head was on top of her knees. She was asleep. Girl's mouth was covered with blood. Two dead Mord'Siths were lying not far from the child. They died from the loss of blood. Carotid arteries of both women were torn, deep wounds Cara found on their backs. Gashes were smooth and five centimeters deep.

"_Look!"_ Triana pointed at the pieces of two agiels lying in leaves. Agiel was cut as if it was a simple carrot. _"What happened here?" _She unsheathed her agiel coming up to the child. Triana wanted to poke the sleeping girl with her weapon but Cara stopped her.

"_Don't!" _the head of the Mord'Siths whispered to her sister. Cara squatted beside the slave and gently touched her head. _"Wake up! Aisha, wake up!"_ she murmured in girl's ear.

The child produced a strange purring sound and woke up. Her eyes were watery blue again and the whole picture reflected in them. It was scaring to look at such a beautiful innocent face covered in blood. Aisha saw two bodies on the ground and she remembered everything.

"_I'm sorry. I didn't want to kill them, but they hurt me with four agiels at the same time, they wanted to humiliate me, to torture me again. I'm so sorry."_ The girl apologized.

"_Everything is all right, Aisha. Nobody's blaming you. You can save two other girls, do you want to save them?"_ Cara spoke to her very polite, very gently. She hushed the girl as if she was a five year-old child who had accidentally broken a cup.

"_There are they?"_ Aisha asked eager to help the Mord'Siths whom she nearly killed an hour ago.

"_Let's run to the castle."_ Cara said to the child taking her by the hand.

"_Are you crazy?"_ Triana stood on their way. _"She killed two perfectly trained Mord'Siths and you're taking her to the castle? You're out of your mind."_ She took the agiel in her hand.

"_Triana, you don't know anything. She can help them if it's not too late. Do you want two more Mord'Siths to die? Trust me!"_ Cara and Aisha ran to the hospital wing followed by Triana.

A woman healer came to Cara and told her that one of the Mord'Siths died. Aisha approached Cleo, the one who was wounded but still alive and put her hand on Cleo's burning forehead. Mord'Sith shivered. Black tears started running down girl's face. Small bruises disappeared, the young woman started to breathing deeply and calmly. When a healer removed the bandages soaked with blood there were no gashes on Cleo's back.

The young Mord'Sith opened her eyes and yelped. Aisha's smiling face was staring at her. When she saw that the Mord'Sith was scared, she stepped back.

"_I'm sorry."_ Aisha said to her tormentor.

Triana didn't know what to believe, to believe that a ten-year old could kill a trained Mord'Sith or to believe that she has just cured one of her victims and apologized. She thought she was going insane.

"_Aisha, can you cure another girl."_ Cara pointed to the lifeless body lying on the bed.

"_She is dead. I can't revive her."_ The slave shook her head.

"_I don't ask you to revive her. I want you to heal her, so I can give a Breath of Life to this woman."_ The Mord'Sith insisted.

Child put her hand on the forehead of the dead girl. Black tears fell on the ground but when all the bruises and gashes disappeared, Aisha fell on the floor and vomited blood. Her body was shaking. She couldn't stand up. Cara divided the Breath of Life with the dead Mord'Sith and she breathed again. Cara told the healers to take care of the slave.

Triana interrogated the cured Mord'Siths.

"_Melissa captured the slave. We tortured the men first to show the girl what was waiting for her. She watched them die but she didn't beg us to let her go. She watched how we have been torturing our preys and not a sound escaped her lips. Then Melissa poked her with agiel. She hissed. She jabbed her again and again but she didn't scream, she didn't beg for mercy. Greta wanted to help Melissa to make the girl scream. They approached her with agiels but she broke away and ran. We ran after her. Greta attacked the slave. I don't know how, but this girl knows how to fight. She used our movements against us. It was like she was reading what we wanted to do next. We surrounded her and used our agiels. She fell on the ground and screamed. We continued hitting her with agiels. A moment later she was howling like a beasty creature. I've never heard such a sound before. She was lying in the leaves, her face on the ground. Suddenly she turned and grabbed Greta's agiel with her hand. She clinched her fist and pieces of agiel fell on the ground. The girl roared showing us the fangs. Yes, her teeth resembled cat fangs and there was claws on her hands. In no time she jumped on Greta and tore her carotid with fangs. She did that so fast, we hadn't time to notice what had happened. Melissa poked her with agiel but she sliced it with claws. Melissa wanted to slap her hard but this creature caught her hand and scratched it with other. Blood streamed from Melissa's vein. She fell on her knees. Aisha's hand clasped her neck and tore it open. We tried to fight with her, but she was too quick. Within a second this monster hanged from Teresa's neck I poked her with agiel. She broke her grip and turned to me. We fought on the ground. Somehow I beat her off of me. I took Teresa and we ran. I don't know who is she, but she's not a human being." _Cleo concluded her story.

Cara and Triana went in the hall.

"_Can you explain me what's going on here? Who is she? She turns into a creature with fangs and claws and then she heals her victims. Who is this girl?"_ Triana hissed angrily.

"_She's a bess."_ Cara said simply.

"_What?"_ Triana looked at the head of the Mord'Siths in disbelief.

**To be continued…**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Bess**

**Part 7**

"_She can't be a bess. Bess is an evil creature, always a boy with a long tail and two horns on his head. Yeah, and his whole body is covered with black hair. I don't know who she is, but she's not a bess!"_ Triana completely disagreed with Cara.

"_I don't give a damn what you think, but she's a bess. Look at her, she imitates everything. I proved that she learns easily. Once I asked her to read ten pages of a book, then I told her to cite me the second abstract from the forth page I threatened her with my agiel and she cited it word for word. The Mord'Siths she nearly killed said that Aisha used their movements against them. I asked her to watch Mord'Siths training everyday when she polished my boots. She remembered each movement."_ Cara stuck to her guns.

"_Fine, maybe she's a good pretender but besses don't have magical power. This girl healed two persons." _Triana insisted.

"_I don't say she's an ordinary bess. Firstly she's a girl. It means she's unique. Secondly she is extremely kindhearted and smart. As we know besses can't read or speak. They are only imitating people's behavior and they destruct everything on their way. Last but not the least she had a tail and horns, but to my mind somebody cut and cauterized them when she was a baby. When she killed Gwen I examined her. Her tailbone protrudes more than on a usual human being and there are two bumps on her head. There were former horns I think."_ The Mord'Sith stated.

"_Do you understand what does it mean?"_ Triana looked at her boss. _"Besses are uncontrollable creatures. They kill everything they see. She's dangerous! We must kill her!"_

"_Or use her as a healer. She can help us."_

"_I think we should discuss it with others." _Triana snapped back.

Cara smacked her hard in the face: _"If you tell this to anybody, it'll be my pleasure to torture you to death."_

"_I won't tell anybody, Cara." _The Mord'Sith spitted blood on the floor.

**The meeting chamber:**

Two days passed. Aisha was still in hospital. Cara came in the meeting chamber. She was surprised to see a man in a long white with silver vest, white trousers with silver belt and black cloak which changed its color from dark black to dark violet when light fell on it. It was Warlock Dracul, an Emperor and a son of the Keeper, who enslaved them. Who turned the Midlands into a burning hell with internecine wars where people killed each other for nothing. He provoked conflicts to gain profit from it, to control people, to make their lives miserable. The Mord'Siths were a part of his army as D'Haran soldiers and other armies that swore to protect the Empire. With their help he escalated the conflicts between two neighboring countries and weakened them with war until one of them asked him for protection. He defeated the opponent and two independent territories widened the Empire.

"_Lord Dracul, what do I owe your visit to?"_ Cara asked the man approaching him.

"_Let's talk without ceremony, Cara. I've heard you hide my daughter from me. I'm curious why?"_ He came closer and his fingers touched her cheek.

"_You and I know, that your majesty can't have a daughter. All your children were boys and they were killed right after their birth."_ The Mord'Sith looked in his green eyes. They glowed like the eyes of a cat.

"_I like you Cara. Why do we have to destroy everything we like?"_ It wasn't a question. It sounded like a statement. His hand touched Cara's lips. She prepared herself to this if a human being could prepare to unbearable pain that made her drop on the ground with a scream and curl up into a ball. He was a demon. This man didn't need an agiel to cause pain. He did it with a movement of two fingers. Warlock could make all the Mord'Siths standing now in the room crawl and beg for mercy.

"_Take her to the dungeon. I need to reeducate her. Berdine will be reeducated as well. Now I want to see the bess."_ Lord Dracul ordered.

Five Mord'Siths surrounded Berdine, who was staring at Cara moaning in pain on the floor. She knew, it was useless to fight them. She let the sisters take her to the dungeon.

**Hospital Wing:**

Warlock went into the room. Aisha was lying in the bed covered with a blanket. Her arms and legs were bandaged, because there were too many scars and wounds on them. One eye was black the swollen lips came back to normal. The girl looked at the man entering the room. He was 6 feet 2 inches high. He had the same white hair as Aisha but it was strait not curly like girl's. His white pale skin merged with his white vest. The man resembled a living dead only with vivid glowing green eyes.

"_Hello."_ Warlock said sitting on the bed side. _"How are you?"_

"_Fine, thank you, master." _Aisha replied.

He wanted to touch her face but the girl evaded his touch.

"_I won't hurt you."_ He said gently. His hand went further to touch her again. The child stopped him by pressing his huge pale hand to the bed.

"_I don't like to be touched."_ Her eyes changed to dark blue.

"_Those women hurt you. I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I promise."_ He smiled at her.

"_Who are you, master?"_ girl screwed up her eyes.

"_I'm Warlock Dracul, the Emperor and your father."_ He told the child.

"_My father's dead as well as my mother. I'm a slave."_ Aisha retorted.

"_You're not a slave anymore. Your parents just brought you up. I'm your real father and I promise you'll live in a castle with me. You'll have anything you want. You are a princess."_ The man took girl's hand in his but she took it away.

"_What do you want from me, master?"_ Her eyes became darker.

"_I want? I want nothing. I want you to hug me and to call me your father."_ He said nearly with tears in his eyes. It alerted Aisha. She didn't trust this man in rich garment with eyes changing their color. She knew he wanted something from her, but she didn't understand what it was.

"_Where's Mistress Cara?"_ She asked innocently trying to move as far away from this man as it was possible on a narrow bed.

"_She went on a mission. She'll be absent for the next three months. Don't worry, I'll take care of you. You'll be pretty well off."_ Warlock assured the child.

"_I serve Mistress Cara. I don't need anything else."_ She hissed. Her eyes turned to dark-dark blue, the color of the sky at night.

Anger boiled inside him but the man didn't change his expression. He stood up, patted girl's head and said: _"You're still sick. I'll come to see you later when you feel better."_ He left the room.

Aisha plopped on the pillow. Something was wrong. She didn't like this stranger. He lied. The girl knew how much pain he caused people in the Midlands. She saw families die from hunger, soldiers burning their houses, killing men and enslaving women. All of them shouted: _"For the Emperor."_

**Dungeon. Room for Torture:**

Cara hanged from the chains. Her hands were shackled and her body languished from long hovering. Steel bra and panties made of cold metal put dead weight to her body. Her bones and joints screamed of this weight. Though she was satisfied that nobody has come yet. Waiting made her sick still she could meditate to send her consciousness away from this room, from the tormentor who was eager to began the torture. She knew it. The Mord'Sith decided to die but not to crack. She heard the footsteps. Warlock with Triana and Alina went into the room.

"_Cara, my beloved Cara."_ Lord Dracul said taking off his vest and remaining in a white shirt with silver mount. _"Creator knows that I don't want to reeducate you, but it is inevitable." _He approached and kissed her lips hard, angry, trying to get into her mouth. The Mord'Sith clenched teeth. She wanted to spit into his white pale face. _"I saw the girl. She's wonderful. I think how much time will it cost me to win her over. She can be a very powerful weapon in my hands, besides she is a healer and a killer at the same time." _The man's hand with long delicate fingers touched Cara's waist.

"_Don't underestimate her. Aisha is too smart not to see your tricks."_ Cara told him and felt the pain of agiel penetrate her liver. She pressed lips together not to make a sound.

"_I'll treat her right. She was a slave I'll give her freedom, richness and power. No child will resist love of a parent. I'll teach her my way. Her mind is flexible. She'll believe any lie I tell her."_ Warlock poked Cara with agiel again.

"_Don't worry I'll be there to kill her or she kills you then I kill her. It doesn't matter."_ Cara hissed.

"_Cara, do you know why I want to reeducate you?"_ Warlock pressed agiel hard to the Mord'Siths neck. Her body started visibly shaking. _"I want to do this not because you hid the girl. She is just a pawn until I make her my guardian angel, who'll kill for me in order to please her father. I'm here because you helped the Resistance defend my fort in Broomswood. I have to admit you did a great job, slept with me and helped the Seeker to find information from my persons in attendance. Very smart of you. I could not have guessed that my tamed Mord'Sith gives the most important information to the enemy. Why? What for? People are miserable. They are egoistic, greedy and jealous. It's in their nature. Whom do you want to save?"_

"_Maybe you met only that kind of people. I was luckier." _She spitted into his face.

Warlock wiped saliva from his nose and moved two fingers in the air. The Mord'Sith couldn't control her body shaking from hell of a pain nevertheless she didn't make a sound.

**Hospital Wing:**

Aisha heard two healers talking about the arrival of the Lord Dracul. They were scared of him, especially, then the Mord'Sith in charge of this castle was being tortured in dungeon. Four hours passed when Warlock came back to Aisha's room. The room smelled of herbage and ointment. Dracul wrinkled when he got inside. He was dressed in violet vest and trousers in tone of the vest. This garment made him look even paler then he was. The man was handsome but something in his face made you want to run away as far from the pale monster as possible. Warlock sat down on the bed side and smiled at Aisha. He brought a beautiful doll and gave it to the girl. The child took it and run her fingers over doll's fair hair.

"_Do you like it?"_ He asked in a low, gentle voice.

"_She's splendid."_ Aisha replied touching porcelain face of the doll.

"_You'll have any toy you like when you become a princess."_ He told her and touched girl's hand. She didn't take it away.

"_What should I do to become one?"_ She asked interested in his proposition.

"_Just to call me 'daddy'."_ The man said caressing her small hand.

"_Can I have Mistress Cara as my slave, daddy."_ Aisha put her small arms over his neck embracing the man. Her eyes darkened.

"_Only when I reeducate her."_ He replied feeling the warm of her small body hitting him.

**To be continued…**

_**You wanted to know what the word 'bess' means. It is simple. I speak five languages that is why I use the word from the language I know to name a new creature. 'Bess' from Russian «**__**бес**__**» means an evil spirit. It is a Devil's offspring. His or her appearance resembles a Greek mythological creature Pan. He/she has horns on the head, hairy legs with hoofs, a long tail with a tuft at the end of it and a snout instead of a nose. They are dull but very crafty. Devil uses them as servants. They have simple magical powers always use them to play dirty tricks on human beings.**_

_**I changed the characteristics of these creatures. They are described in this story, but Aisha is an exception.**_


	8. Chapter 8

**The Bess**

**Part 8**

Aisha woke up in Cara's bed. It was her first night in the Mord'Sith's room. She left the hospital wing yesterday's evening and asked Lord Dracul to stay in Cara's room. She liked the bed. It was wide not soft at all but very comfortable. The girl felt safe here. Two days had passed since she called the Emperor her father. Aisha knew that Cara was still in the torture's room. If she was broken they would sent her here as the Mord'Sith and Aisha's slave. Girl pulled the rope. The bell in her former room rang. Two young Mord'Siths came in. They weren't satisfied with the order but they were scared to death to disobey Lord Dracul.

Aisha sat up on the bed starring at two girls. A new lilac-colored silk dress with lace trimmings was lying on a chair. It looked very rich. A pair of elegant shoes in tone to the dress made of soft leaver stood on the floor under the chair. A pair of silk socks was on the chair too. She understood, this was her clothes for today. During her whole life she hasn't seen such splendor but Aisha didn't want to show her surprise to the Mord'Siths standing in front of the bed.

"_Where is the greeting 'Good morning, Aisha'? Where are your good manners? Haven't they taught you anything?"_ She asked two girls and her feet touched the floor.

Christa and Tabita were angry but they mumbled the greeting. Their faces looked as if they wanted to smack her with an agiel not to greet her.

_Fine. Obviously you don't know anything about the manners. Christa, please, bring me two buckets of hot water and pour them into the basin. I want to take a shower._ - Aisha told one of the Mord'Siths who squeezed her agiel so tight that her knuckles became white. – _Tabita, it'll be very kind of you to take away the chamber-pot._ – Curly girl told her former torturer.

_We're here as your guard not your slaves._ - Christa informed the blonde with a killing look.

Aisha made two steps to stand closer to the girls. She was shorter than them but quicker. Within a second Tabita's agiel was in her tiny hand and she hit Christa in the face. She knew what pain this girl was feeling spitting blood on the floor. Blonde turned to Tabita.

_I remember pretty well how you treated me as a slave. If you don't do what I say I'll tell Lord Dracul to treat you right, and believe me, you won't just take away the chamber-pot but you'll drink it till the last drop. Do you understand?_ - Girl's light blue eyes turned dark. – _So, please, take it away and bring me two buckets of hot water. It isn't too hard to do, is it? _– Aisha put agiel in its holster.

_Yes, Mistress Aisha. - _Tabita replied. She didn't want to underestimate this girl. She heard what she had done with two trained women. She didn't need her father to kill them. Besses were unpredictable creatures. They could tear to pieces a group of strong healthy men if they were in a bad mood. Bad mood was their permanent condition.

_Call me, Aisha. I'm not a Mord'Sith. You're my servants. I won't ask you anything you can't do._

_Yes, Aisha. _– the Mord'Siths left the room, one carrying a chamber-pot.

Christa poured two buckets of water in a basin. Tabita returned with a clean jordan. Aisha thanked them and told the girls to wait in slave's room while she would be taking a shower. After the shower the blonde child put on undergarment and called her servants. Girls helped to comb her curls and hook up the dress. To say that she looked as the most beautiful princess in the world was to say nothing. The Mord'Siths was staring at her as if she was made of crystal so fragile that if you touch it will break to pieces. They were staring at her in astonishment for two minutes while Aisha put on her shoes. The child looked at them and saw that the Mord'Sith goggle at her with open mouths.

_Are you two all right? _

Both girls quickly come to their senses.

_Just wanted to know if you need us to do anything else. _– Christa blurted out.

Aisha approached the oldest Mord'Sith and stretcher her hand to touch girl's face but Christa started back.

_I won't hurt you. Stand still!_ – Girl in lilac dress touched Christa's face and warm overwhelming feeling embraced the Mord'Sith. Black tears dropped on the floor turning into dust. Aisha took away her hand and thirteen year old Mord'Sith came back to reality. A ticklish feeling of happiness went away with the hand. The wounds were healed. – _I'm sorry I hit you. – _The beauty apologized. She turned to Tabita and made the same. These girls were always in pain. Aisha felt their pain and the only thing she wanted to do was to take it away, to make them feel the world without pain, to feel the beauty of it.

_Thank you._ _You may go._ – She told the servants. Christa and Tabita left the room in silence.

Aisha went to the dining room where she was sure Lord Dracul was already sitting at the table with his mistresses who slept with the man this night. It was a tradition to have breakfast with his lovers then to send them away. For him women were no more than entertainment and pleasure, except the Mord'Siths who were also his guard. Girl entered the dining room.

_Good morning, father._ – She said standing next to him.

_Good morning, angel. Look at you! Have you ever seen anything so perfect than this little beauty?_ – He asked the Mord'Siths who shared his breakfast today. It was Triana and Alina. It meant that they were his new favorites. He kissed Aisha's forehead and offered her to sit next to him. – _How did you sleep?_

_Great, thank you. When do I see Cara? _– girl asked taking bread with butter from the plate.

_She's not ready to serve you yet, but it's just a matter of time._ – Warlock assured his daughter and licked Alina's fingers taking a slice of cheese with his lips. The Mord'Sith fed him like he was a child. Aisha wanted to vomit right in her plate but she restrained the feeling.

_What about Berdine then?_

_Do you want Berdine instead of Cara?_ – Dracul was surprised.

_No, I want them both. They are the best. They will serve me well and they'll be my guard._ – She said simply watching Triana giving her father a slice of melon pressing it with her mouth to his. A slight moan escaped man's lips.

_I make sure Berdine will be in shape to serve you in a day._

_Thank you, daddy. You're the best. – _Though Aisha wasn't excited to hear that at all. Berdine cracked. She has been tortured for four days and the Mord'Sith broke. She was one of the strongest. Now she was broken. Girl could only imagine what did they do to the woman who was trained her whole life to live in pain and she was broken in four days.

_Today you're going to People's Palace in D'Hara. Where you'll be safe._ – The Emperor told the child.

_Dad, I don't wanna go there without my guard, besides in the Mord'Sith's castle I feel safer than in any other place, don't you think. You're here. You are the most powerful person in the world. I want to stay here with you._

_Hm… Maybe you're right. You can stay here until I retrain Cara._

_Thank you, daddy! I'll go and play outside if you don't mind. – _The girl was sick to watch Mord'Siths caressing the man, kissing him, playing to be his slave right in front of her. She decided to get out of here.

_Yes, of course you may go. – _He watched his daughter leaving the room. – _Isn't she sweet? _– Man turned to Alina and kissed her hard on the lips.

This day Aisha spent playing with Christa and Tabita. She forced them to play hide-and-seek, to jump-rope, to play tag. The girl made two extremely serious Mord'Siths flower-wreaths. Poor girls in brown Mord'Siths uniform had to wear the wreaths all day. They were very angry to look like fools with flowers on their heads but at the end of the day they admitted it was the most wonderful day of their lives as Mord'Siths. It was forbidden to express their feelings. They looked like everything they did today was disgusting inside both girls wanted the next day to be like this one - a day without torture. Warlock was too busy torturing Cara and giving orders to generals who coordinated his army in the west. He didn't come to say 'Good night' to Aisha. She didn't feel upset either. The girl was satisfied not to see his pale cruel face.

Aisha went to bed but didn't fall asleep. She waited the darkness to come. The girl left the room and went to the dungeon in her beautiful lilac dress. Child found two Mord'Siths on guard near the door to torture's room. She told them that she wanted to see the prey and they let her in. Cara was lying naked on a rack. Her body was of a strange color. All shades of blue and black together with dry blood covered her skin. A small stream of blood ran right between her thighs. It poured on the floor making a small pool. Aisha was too young to understand why blood was running from there. She didn't want to imagine what could have happened if there was so much blood on the floor. Girl didn't know if Cara was asleep or unconscious, because the Mord'Sith's eyes were so blue and swollen that she wouldn't be able to open them even if she wanted. Aisha ordered the guard to set Cara free and to lay her down on the floor. They hesitated. She used the most convincing argument, she threatened them with Warlock Dracul, her father, who did this to Cara. They obeyed immediately. The Mord'Sith moaned slightly when they put her on the floor. Aisha kneeled down beside her Mistress. She brushed locks of hair from Cara's forehead and pressed both hands to it. Bloody tears ran down girl's pale face. She sat near the body of the Mord'Sith sobbing. Every tear made her weaker. Aisha felt so exhausted that she laid down on the floor not taking her hands away from her Mistress. Two Mord'Siths watched the girl closely. Cara's skin became normal but Aisha was lying on the floor unconscious and blood streamed from her half open lips. She saved her Mistress. Cara sat up and looked up at two guards.

**Aisha: **_Pain. It is the one and only feeling I have. It is tearing my body like hungry dogs scratching my chest and eating my wrists. Where am I? Cold. Smell of burning torches filling the room. My head's so heavy. I can't raise it. I must. I must. My lungs are burning. Why? I'm drowning in liquid. It's aching! Mommy, please, take me out of here! I can't breathe. Can't breathe. I cough. Red liquid flows down my bare chest, to my belly and down my legs. It drops. It drops on the floor but it is so far from here. I can't move. My feet. Am I flying? Why I can't move? My arms are aching as if my bones stretching out. Blood pours down from my lips. I lift up my head. The room is cold. Women in red leather standing, staring at me. What happened? Where's Mistress Cara? I raise my head to see, to see where I am. But I see my Mistress. She's hanging down from the chains just like me. She doesn't have so many bruises as before, soon she'll regret that I healed her. Why didn't she run? She could. I'm coughing blood again. I want to call her. My lips are made of wood. I can't feel anything but pain. An overwhelming pain hugs my body. It smothers me. I'm drowning in blood. Cara looks at me. I see pain in her beautiful eyes. She can't help me. Nobody can help us. She says something. I don't hear. Pain takes away my ability to hear, to speak. I try to read what her lips are telling me. I understand. My Mistress says me not to cry. A woman in red leather hits her with a rod. Her full lips crack and blood appears on the surface of her fragile skin. Mommy, please, take me away from here. Take me away from this hell. Take me to the Underworld. Take Cara too. My mom doesn't hear me. Nobody hears our cries. Pain is all we have…_

_**To all the readers: It is the last chapter for now. In a week starts a new year of brainwashing in the Academy in Moscow, so I won't have time to write new chapters. I hope you liked it. Till winter vacation! Enjoy other fics!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**The Bess**

**Part 9**

After hours of torturing Cara found herself in a cell of the dungeon. She hit the floor when Triana and Alina pushed her inside the cell. Something else fell on the ground next to the Mord'Sith. The sound resembled a big piece of meat with bones dropped on the ground. The sound was horrible. She knew this noise quite well, because a few days ago she was doing the same, dragging tortured bodies to the cells and leaving them to regain consciousness to continue education later.

Cara made an effort to sit up. It was hard to do. She felt as if every inch of her sore body ached and this ache destroyed her mind. The only thing she wanted right now not to move not to stir a finger, just to lie on the floor like a stone to be completely indifferent to the environment but she couldn't. The Mord'Sith had to sit up and watch the object that was lying motionless on the ground, though she knew pretty well who it was. Cara used all her effort to move a little bit nearer to the body. Her broken ribs and stretched upper limbs screamed in protest, nevertheless she crawled to the body and turned it over. Blood immediately covered her hands.

"_Aisha! Aisha!"_ she whispered taking some sticky locks away from girl's face. The child didn't move. A slight whimper left her cracked and swollen lips. Girl was shivering. Cara lied down next to the child and embraced her. They fell asleep.

The Mord'Sith woke up when the girl had stirred. Aisha opened her beautiful eyes to see the darkness that gulped everything around them. She felt the heat of the body lying against her, embracing her tiny form. The girl wanted to lie like that forever, because this dark, cold, damp place made her shiver. She had lost a lot of blood because of healing her Mistress. Cara's pain was unbearable when she healed the Mord'Sith, now they were both in the same condition. She saw Lord Dracul torturing Cara while Triana was working at her slim body. The woman was fierce and pitiless. Triana pocket Aisha with agiel until she lost her consciousness and then started again. She screamed several times because she couldn't control the pain. She had lost too much power healing Cara.

"_Aisha, are you awake?"_ Cara asked little girl, who was so cold that the Mord'Sith pressed her fingers to girl's carotid to see if she was still alive.

"_Yeah."_ A hoarse childish voice barely responded.

Cara began to massage girl's arms and legs to warm her up a little.

"_Why haven't you escaped?"_ Aisha asked the woman.

"_I tried but I failed. I killed three of my sisters but then came more. I fought them. Warlock used his power to cause pain. It was so overwhelming I couldn't stand it. It always knocks me to the ground. I can't fight it. It is more than a Mord'Sith can stand."_ Cara said quietly continuing to rub girl's arms. _"It was you who had to try to escape. You could do it with your powers. Why did you come for me?"_

"_I didn't know where to go. I don't have anybody waiting for me out there." _Aisha replied trying not to shake from cold that embraced her.

"_You could stay with Lord Dracul. You're his daughter, a princess. You could live in D'Hara in the People's palace."_ Cara reprimanded.

"_I want to be with you." _The girl retorted.

"_What? I'm a Mord'Sith, a woman-killer, who knows no mercy. I'm created to kill. You know it, you are my slave. How such a strange idea did come to your stupid curly head?" _the woman was shocked by the child's confession.

"_You're the only one who cares."_ Aisha said tiredly moaning in pain.

Cara didn't say anything, though she had to tell this child a lot, but she couldn't. Not here, not now. The Mord'Sith and her former slave were too tired to understand the reality, too tired of pain and torture. Suddenly the door opened and Cara's sister of the agiel put a plate with two pieces of bread and a jug of water on the floor. _"Feast!" _Alina said with sarcasm.

Cara took the plate and gave one piece of bread to the child: _"Eat!"_

"_I don't want to."_

"_Eat or I'll make you!" _The Mord'Sith demanded.

"_Kill me."_ Girl murmured.

"_Did they hit you hard in the head?"_ she asked taking a big bite of stale bread.

"_Please, kill me. I can't stand the torture anymore."_ The girl whimpered.

"_Fool him, tell him you broke, tell him you'll serve your Master and become a Mord'Sith."_ Cara said without any emotions.

"_I can't. You know, I can't break. I couldn't fool you, how do I fool Lord Dracul? Please, kill me." _She insisted.

Cara sighed. This girl became annoying minute after minute. She almost hated her, hated her vulnerability, hated her softness, her inability to stand up the pain, her yearning for dying instead for fighting this feeling. How could she be a bess, if she was so weak-willed.

"_I won't kill you but I'll teach you how to avoid the pain of the agiel. You have to divide your mind."_

"_What?"_ Aisha misunderstood what her Mistress was talking about.

"_Try to forget where you are, try to see a place where you feel happy, dream about a person - the most important in your life."_

"_Like my mother?" _A young voice asked full with pain.

"_Yes, like your mother." - _Cara responded with a sigh, -_ "Try to escape from reality. But the easiest for you is to turn into that demonizing creature you are. You have to turn into a bess." _Cara ate the last bite of bread. Aisha didn't touch bread at all.

"_I don't know how. I don't control it. Please, kill me."_ She started sobbing.

Hours of silence passed when the door flew open and the Mord'Siths dragged two victims from the cell to continue their severe education. Cara was fighting the pain. She dreamed about the Seeker, Mother Confessor and Zedd. She hoped they fulfilled the task and one more town was free from the greedy claws of demon. Today Berdine, her former the most loyal sister of the agiel, with whom Cara shared her thoughts and her double game, was pocking her with agiel. The Mord'Sith hanging down from the chains understood that she had lost her sister forever. Cara dreamed about Kahlan's marrying Richard and suddenly she saw a little girl with blonde curls running to her and crying happily _"Mommy, mommy! I've missed you so much." _The girl hugged her knees and Cara took the little one in her arms and kissed. This picture changed everything. In a second the Mord'Sith came to reality. She heard Aisha beg to stop torturing her.

"_Please, Master. I'll do whatever you want."_ The girl uttered. There was not even a tiny place on her body that hadn't a mark of the agiel on it. They broke the child.

"_Would you kill for me?"_ Lord Dracul asked kissing the child in the lips.

"_I'll do whatever you ask."_ She told him trying not to show him that she was shivering.

A single tear escaped Cara's eye and made her path down Mord'Sith's cheek. Girl's cracked. She remained alone with the pain and the enemies. Maybe it was a good idea to kill Aisha. Cara watched the Mord'Siths release the child. Dracul turned to his beloved but so stubborn Mord'Sith. I know how to make you beg for mercy. He put his hand on Cara's stomach and pronounced a spell. Aisha clearly saw dark shadows enter Cara's body. The Mord'Sith screamed like a wounded animal. Her eyes turned red and didn't change into blue again. She became a demon. The child tore away from the two strong women. Aisha howled and in three jumps she was standing beside her Mistress. Green eyes have met the dark night's blue and froze. This creature wasn't a victim they've been torturing for hours. It was strong, fast and fierce.

"_Undo the spell."_ Strange animal voice roared as if a wolf or a tiger demanded Warlock to undo the spell.

He looked at the girl, who wasn't a human being. She showed her teeth and he saw two pair of fangs on her upper and lower jaws. Her backbone curved a little. Aisha stooped. Five centimeter-claws which were like thin transparent blades sprung from her fingertips. She glowered at him ready to attack. Without thinking he used his magic to cause her pain but she didn't move. He was pretty sure about his powers. Cara and the Mord'Siths in the room screamed in pain. Women fell on the floor and Cara started shaking uncontrollably on her chains. Aisha didn't stir a finger. Dracul made two steps back and ordered the Mord'Siths to attack the child. In one long jump Aisha got him down, pressed to the ground and grabbed his throat.

"_If anyone moves he'll be dead."_ She roared.

"_You can't kill a demon._" Dracul hissed trying to push her away but failed.

"_I won't be so sure."_ Girl said deepening claws into his chest. Pain stopped him from pushing her aside. Blood colored his west. But one of the Mord'Sith was already behind her back. She poked the child with her agiel. Aisha turned attention to the woman in red leather. It was Triana. With lightning speed blonde creature sliced agiel to pieces and the other hand disemboweled the attacker. Triana dropped down to her knees pressing her hand hard to the stomach to prevent intestine to fall out. Three other women surrounded the girl. She hissed when two agiels touched her naked back. The child tossed aside causing a woman in leather to fall on her injured leg and bit through her neck. The creature immediately stood up roaring, blood dripping from her chin. Girl looked at the exit where two women were waiting for her. She ran up to them. They were ready to strike her with their weapons but she turned a somersault slicing claws into the boots of the Mord'Siths, jumped to her feet and ran down the hall.

"_Stop her!"_ Dracul yelled at his guard. The Mord'Siths left the room.

An hour later one of them returned to say that the bess had escaped.

"_Now it's up to you, Cara, to bring her back. She trusts you." _Warlock told the Mord'Sith lying in his bed.

"_Everything you wish, Master."_ Bloody eyes pierced him with hunger. She kissed Lord Dracul and he responded to her ardent desire.

….

At night Christa woke up of sudden pain caused by agiel. She slept with Tabita outside the castle in the woods. It was a part of their education. Tabita was on the first watch. Now she was fastened to the trunk with a lace from her costume. Aisha stood above Christa with two agiels in hands. She turned into a 10-year old girl, no fangs or claws disfigured her body.

"_Go to the castle and bring me clothes or she dies."_ Aisha said motioning to Tabita. Without asking questions the young Mord'Sith hurried to the castle. Within half an hour she came back with a simple brown dress, a change of underwear, a pair of boots, a water skin, a back pack and a knife. She gave everything to the blonde girl.

"_Untie her!"_ the little one told the Mord'Sith sliding into the dress.

Christa took out the gag from Tabita's mouth and untied her friend. Aisha buckled the boots, put everything else into the back pack and returned the agiels to the astonished Mord'Siths.

"_Thank you."_ She told the girls and disappeared in the woods.

To be continued…

…...

_**It'll be very kind of you to write a feedback on the story. Thank you very much!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**The Bess**

**Part 10**

Kahlan, Richard, Zedd and Renn - the listener have been travelling across the wood for two weeks.

"_How many days to Janderlain?"_ an eleven-year-old boy asked for the sixth time this day.

"_I've told you, five or six days more!"_ Richard responded irritated. He almost regretted that they'd freed the boy from the margrave. Renn was enslaved and worked for the margrave's soldiers loyal to Warlock Dracul.

"_I hope will be there in time. I'm really worried. Nor Cara neither Berdine have sent us even a short message for three weeks now!"_ Kahlan said with concern in her voice.

"_Don't worry! These two women can take care of themselves. Last time they disappeared, they had been doing a job for Lord Dracul and destroyed two battalions on the way by adding laxative in food. It took the Resistance two days to kill all the soldiers."_ Zedd assured the Mother Confessor.

"_Maybe you're right!"_ Kahlan sighed. _"Where are you going?"_ She asked the boy, who turned to the bushes and was trying to disappear without anyone to notice.

"_Hm. I'm… You know, I have to…" _Renn hesitated.

"_Go to the toilet?" _Zedd finished the sentence.

"_Yes!"_ He blushed.

"_Go! We'll wait for you here!"_ Kahlan dismissed the boy leaning on a tree trunk. Richard and Zedd also stopped to rest for awhile. It was a long day. Everybody was tired.

Five minutes later Renn ran out from the bushes.

"_You won't believe whom I have found!"_ The listener cried cheerfully.

"_Whom? Another tree frog or maybe a cave rat?"_ Kahlan asked sarcastically.

"_A girl!"_ He exclaimed taking Richard by the hand and dragging him along.

"_A girl? Hey, wait, don't drag me!"_ Richard somehow didn't want to believe the boy.

Kahlan and Zedd followed them. When they have come to the place there was nobody there.

"_So, where is your mysterious girl?"_ Kahlan crossed her arms in front of her starring sternly at Renn. The sun has already set and the woman didn't want to play along.

"_She was here! I swear! A blonde girl in a brown dress!"_ Renn said looking at now empty place.

"_You're just tired. I think we should stop here and rest."_ The Confessor proposed.

"_Maybe he's right."_ Richard said examining the place. "_Look, little branches are broken here, where she was sleeping and there's a broken branch out there." _He pointed to a small bush.

Now all the company started to look around to find any evidence of the child.

"_Hey! Show yourself, we won't hurt you._" A tall old man spoke.

Suddenly a sheet of water poured from nowhere on the ground right before Richard. He raised his head and saw something white moving up from one branch to another. Richard put hands to his mouth and cried to draw child's attention.

"_Hey! Get down! We won't hurt you! I'm the Seeker and here's Mother Confessor!" _

"_Yeah, confess my ass!" _Aisha hissed sitting on a thick branch. She remained out of water because the stupid cork opened up again and all the water was wasted on the ground. She didn't know how should a Confessor look like but she knew for sure that the woman had to wear long white dress. This one was wearing a brown dress for fighting. Aisha has been hiding in the woods for more than two weeks. The Mord'Siths were after her. She kept going day after day and became really desperate, because once they'd nearly succeeded. Cara headed the hunt. This Mord'Sith wouldn't come back to her Master empty-handed. Aisha was too tired of this race. Mord'Siths were riding horses she had only two feet to keep her going.

Zedd, Kahlan and Renn stood under the tree looking up. The girl sat at the branch in the middle of the tree trunk.

"_Come down, please! We won't do you any harm. You see, we have a child with us too."_ Kahlan cried to be sure the girl would hear her words.

Aisha didn't move. She sat there wiggling her feet and starring down at the company.

"_I'll climb up and get her down."_ Richard said giving his sword to Kahlan. _"I'm coming up!"_ He informed the girl.

When blonde child saw the man climbing up the tree she stood up and went to the end of the branch she was sitting upon. Kahlan watched it completely horrified.

"_Richard, stop or she'll fall down!"_ Confessor yelled from under the tree.

Aisha continued her way carefully but the branch was too thin and her foot slipped. She fell but her back pack caught hold of a huge bough and she hanged in midair not far from Richard's branch. The Seeker got closer to the child and took her off the bough. He helped her to climb down.

Kahlan immediately bent over the girl, touching her face and shoulders to see if she was all right. Aisha pushed her away!

"_Don't fuss about me. I'm fine!"_ The child snapped.

"_Who are you? What were you doing on the tree?"_ Zedd asked seriously.

"_Thank you for helping me to get down. But as I remember you told me you would do no harm, so I'd better go."_ Aisha turned to leave when Kahlan's hand stopped her.

"_Wait! Where do you think you're going? What are you doing in the woods so late?"_ Kahlan said all the company surrounded the girl to prevent her from leaving.

"_Talking to the strangers who don't want to let me go!"_ Aisha snapped and put her little hands on her hips. Renn smirked. Aisha gave him a killing look.

"_What's your name?"_ Mother Confessor asked.

"_And yours? My mother always told me not to talk to strangers."_ Aisha continued her resistance.

"_I'm Kahlan Amnel, the Mother-Confessor."_ The woman introduced herself.

"_Aisha Jones. Nice to meet you!"_ she shook Kahlan's hand and passed between Zedd and Renn. _"I gotta go!"_

Richard immediately stepped on her way.

"_Where do you want to go? You're alone in the woods, it is night already! Where are your parents?" _Richard put his big hands on her tiny shoulders.

"_My parents are dead and there are five Mord'Siths in an hour maybe two from here. I've seen them from the tree. So, I'd better go."_ The girl told him simply as if he was an idiot.

"_Oh, I'm so sorry about your parents."_ Kahlan said to the child running her head over Aisha's tangled curls.

"_You said the Mord'Siths?"_ Richard asked.

"_Yes, five women in red leather to the west from here."_ Aisha replied.

"_Maybe Cara and Berdine are there?"_ Richard said lost in thoughts.

"_You're a Seeker, right?"_ the blonde child asked the man with a sword.

"_Yes."_

"_If you believe that Mistress Cara and Mistress Berdine are at your side, you're sadly mistaken." _She told him as a matter of fact.

"_Why? What do you know about them? What's happened?"_ Kahlan looked into the child's eyes but she could read nothing.

"_Lord Dracul reeducated them. Now they both are under his total control." _

"_Why? No, it can't be true. How do you know?" _Kahlan couldn't believe this strange little girl, who spoke to them as she was the queen of the world.

"_I was Mistress Cara's slave. I ran away."_

"_How? Nobody could run away from Janderlain. Slaves have magic string-rings on their feet. You should have been without one foot at least." _Zedd interrogated seriously.

"_Mistress Cara took off the bracelet from my foot, when she was sane. Then other Mord'Siths came and dragged her to the dungeon, because Lord Dracul accused Mistress Cara of helping the Seeker. " _She looked at the man almost hating him. Kahlan closed her eyes to absorb the information.

"_No, she's a strong woman. She wouldn't obey without a fight."_ Richard touched Kahlan's arm to calm her down.

"_Berdine cracked completely after two days of torture. Last time I saw my Mistres, dark shadows entered her body and her eyes became red."_ Aisha continued killing all the hope.

"_Demonizing spell."_ Zedd whispered.

"_What?"_ Richard turned to the Wizard.

"_He used demonizing spell to place her under his command."_ Zedd explained.

"_Zedd, can you undo it?"_ Richard asked.

"_No, it's a very powerful dark magic. Now Cara is loyal to Lord Dracul as his most loyal dog. She's his slave. We've lost her."_ Wizard said with regret.

"_No, it isn't true."_ Kahlan refused to believe.

"_Go, ask her if you want. But I'd rather hide somewhere as far from them as possible."_ Aisha said.

"_Me and Richard, we are going to find out how far the Mord'Siths are. You'll stay here with Zedd and Renn."_ Kahlan ordered.

Zedd took her by the arm: "_You're not going anywhere. If she's telling the truth, Cara is no longer our friend."_

"_I won't leave her to the demon. And yes, she's telling the truth." _Mother Confessor lied. She couldn't read the girl, though she tried hard. It worried her, because the only person she couldn't read were the Mord'Siths and this beautiful blonde girl with appealing blue eyes. _"Just like Cara's." _She admitted to herself. Zedd couldn't do anything to stop them. Richard and Kahlan disappeared in the dark.

Zedd remained with two children. He told Renn to gather wood. Aisha also said that she was eager to help, though she wanted to go after wood with her back pack. Zedd told her to leave it. The girl obeyed. Renn came with dry branches. He looked around to be sure that nobody would hear him except Zedd.

"_Zedd, this girl is strange."_

"_Why, because she's a real beauty? Don't tell me you haven't noticed." _Zedd smiled at the boy.

"_No, Zedd. It's not about her attractiveness. She's just a little girl! The matter is I don't hear her."_

"_What?"_

"_I can read your thoughts, Kahlan's and Richard's but I can't read her mind. She's not an ordinary child." _

The confession of the listener made Zedd think. If he couldn't read this girl, than Kahlan lied to him. She didn't feel the child too. This meant that they were in a big trouble. He called Aisha, but the girl didn't reply. The wizard understood. She ran away.

….

Kahlan and Richard hid behind the bushes. Alina was on her watch. Other Mord'Siths were sleeping at the small rough beddings right on the ground.

"_So, what are you going to do?"_ Zedd asked approaching them from behind.

"_Zedd, why are you here and where are the children?" _Richard asked the wizard.

"_We have followed the girl. She isn't what she said she is. I tried to stop her with my magic, but I failed. She's a magically ungifted child and maybe the Mord'Siths are after her, because I don't see the reason why she came back to the Mord'Siths if she was so horrified of them. Renn went to stop her." _Zedd was puzzled.

"_Do you think he'll succeed?"_ Richard wasn't sure that Renn could stop anyone at all.

"_She's nine or ten year-old. I'm sure an eleven-year-old boy can stop a 10 year-old girl."_ Zedd retorted. _"What would you do to them?"_ Zedd pointed at the sleeping women.

"_We'll improvise as usual. You stay here or it will be better for you to disappear."_ Richard told his grandfather.

The Mother Confessor and the Seeker attacked Alina. She fell dead on the ground but the noise of sword woke Cara and other Mord'Siths. Cara and Hally attacked Kahlan when Hania and Raine were fighting with Richard. In five minutes Richard killed two Mord'Siths and Mother Confessor killed Hally. When the head of the Mord'Siths saw her sisters of agiel dead bodies she waved her two fingers, her red eyes glowed. Kahlan and Richard dropped their weapons and fell on the ground suffocating from pain tearing their flesh apart from their bones. They screamed. Zedd used the blast wave to stop the Mord'Sith but Cara used his powers against him and he flew away like a leave falling unconscious to the ground.

Aisha watched the fight with interest. She wanted to run and help the strangers but Renn took her by the arm.

"_You won't go anywhere!"_ He said sternly.

"_Really? And who'll stop me?"_ Aisha hissed.

"_I am."_ Renn squeezed her arm. Without thinking too long Aisha kicked him in the crotch. He screamed, and fell on the ground just before girl's feet. Aisha didn't even look at the poor guy. She ran to her Mistress. Cara wanted to use her magic and to knock the girl down, but it didn't work. Aisha took one of the agiels of the dead Mord'Sith.

"_Are you going to fight with me?"_ Cara laughed.

"_Yes, Mistress Cara."_ The child took the position to attack.

Cara was the first to lunge but Aisha dodged the blow. This distracted Cara's attention. She forgot to concentrate on the pain she caused on her victims. While the Mord'Sith was fighting to a little girl, Richard and Kahlan took their weapons. Cara reached the girl and poked her with agiel. Pain spread from the girl's chin to her feet. It made her kneel. This very moment Kahlan's dagger touched the Mord'Siths neck. Richard kicked out the agiels from her hands and twisted Cara's arms to prevent her from using magic.

"_Are you all right?"_ The seeker asked the blonde child.

"_Fine._" Aisha responded.

Instead of running away the child hugged Cara. The Mord'Sith screamed when the first shadow left her body. The Seeker and Mother Confessor backed away. The woman in red leather was trembling and screaming. When the last shadow left her body, Cara fell on the ground. Her eyes were blue again.

"_Aisha, Aisha!"_ She shook the child. The girl was dead.

Zedd saw the blonde girl healing Cara. Kahlan, Richard, Zedd and Renn gathered around the Mord'Sith and the dead girl. Cara gave the child a Breath of Life. Asiha tiredly opened her eyes and smiled.

"_Mistress Cara, you know, I was dead so many times that some souls in the Underworld even greeted me!" _Girl's smile grew wider.

Cara smacked the child across the face and stood up.

"_Cara!"_ Kahlan kneeled beside the child.

"_Don't worry, Mistress Kahlan, I got used to it." _Aisha rolled on the right side and started coughing. She vomited black, viscous liquid and lost her consciousness.

Zedd looked at Cara in disbelief: _"She has healed you! She's the most powerful healer I've ever seen! I can't believe a little girl could fight such a strong dark magic."_

"_She isn't a healer. She's much worse." _Cara said calmly looking at the dead bodies of her former sisters.

"_Who is she?"_ Zedd asked.

"_A bess and she'll be dead soon. This magic took all her powers. She won't be alive for long."_ Cara told him hiding her feeling of regret deep inside.

"_A bess? It can't be! Are you sure?"_ Zedd didn't want this powerful girl to be an insane creature.

"_I'm deadly sure."_ The Mord'Sith responded.

"_Zedd, can you cure her?" _Kahlan almost begged the wizard.

"_I don't know. That magic could cause an incurable damage but I'll try."_ Wizard kneeled beside the child, raised his hands and started to heal her. The old man clearly felt that he was losing his powers but the girl was still lying unconscious. He tried all the spells he knew to wake her up, but he couldn't do anything_. "I'm sorry. I stabilized her but my powers are useless against this magic. She should fight this alone."_

"_Let's burry the bodies and sleep for awhile." _Cara suggested. Everyone agreed.

**To be continued…**

**Like all good hobbits I want this chapter to be a present for all my readers on my birthday. I hope you'll like it!**


	11. Chapter 11

**The Bess**

**Part 11**

Cara was on the watch when Richard woke up.

"_Go to sleep. It's my turn." _The Seeker said to the Mord'Sith.

Cara obeyed without saying a word. She glanced at Kahlan sleeping next to Aisha's unconscious form. The Mord'Sith wanted to be there next to the girl but instead she lay down as far from them as she could not to make the company suspicious of her behavior.

In the morning the girl didn't regain her consciousness. Kahlan could barely feel girl's thread pulse. The child looked pale as if she wasn't breathing at all. They had breakfast.

"_Cara, why are you so sure that she is a bess?"_ Zedd asked the woman in red leather, who was chewing bread without any interest.

"_Even Lord Dracul has acknowledged it."_ Cara replied looking at child's slumber form.

"_Besses are male creatures with horns and tails, am I right?" _Kahlan protested.

"_Yes, you are, though she is what she is believe it or not. She killed three Mord'Siths when she had turned into her hidden-self."_ Cara said sipping water from a water-skin.

"_Wow! This girl can grow claws and fangs! Unbelievable!"_ Renn exclaimed stunned by Cara's thoughts. The woman looked at him surprised.

"_Who is he?" _

"_The listener," - _Kahlan explained, - "_He can read human's thoughts. He worked for Lord Dracul. We want the Resistance to take care of him. He was a powerful weapon in Warlock's hands, now he's working for us."_

"_If he ever tells anyone what I'm thinking about, he'll be dead." _Cara told the Mother Confessor starring at the boy. Renn gulped.

"_Don't worry. Kahlan and I, we have already been working on it. Earlier it was a disaster. Now he doesn't speak as much as before." _Richard assured the Mord'Sith.

"_I hope so or my agiels will teach him how to behave himself faster when you do."_ Cara replied getting up. Renn seemed offended.

"_Where are we heading now?"_ the boy asked shaking crumbs off his jacket.

"_We need to rescue Berdine."_ Kahlan said.

"_Forget about her. She was rebroken. Dracul used white agiel after her reeducation. It means she's fully in his control. It'll be a suicide to rescue Berdine."_ Cara informed the Mother Confessor.

"_You were on a mission with your sisters. What was the order?"_ Zedd asked the woman in red leather.

"_We were chasing the girl to bring her to Warlock but last night he changed his mind." _Cara took out a book from her bag and showed the company the last order of her previous master written in blood. It said that the child has to be eliminated.

"_Why did he change his order?"_ Richard asked surprised by this sudden decision.

"_We won't know it but we have to do everything possible to keep her safe and alive. Instead, demon will win."_ Zedd's words sounded almost as a prophecy.

Kahlan bended over the child_: "Zedd, she's dying and we can't do anything to stop this. Last night her hands were warm. Now they are cold. I can barely hear her heart-beat. We won't make it to the Resistance for the sisters of light to take care of her."_

"_We don't need to get there. They won't help us. The only one who can help her is Shota."_ The old-man assured her.

"_Shota? Zedd, she's a witch and you know how she 'likes' us! She won't do any good!"_ Richard disagreed with the wizard.

"_Shota is the only one who knows subtractive magic as good as I know additive. If she refuses to heal Aisha we have to make the witch do it. My inner sense is telling me that this girl is our key to free this world of the demon." _

"_Then let's ride."_ Richard said getting on the back of a horse. Four other horses were waiting for their former owners who were lying peacefully underground right now. Renn mounted a dappled horse.

"_Give me the corpse."_ Cara said from the back of her dark beautiful mare.

"_How can you tell that! She's still alive!"_ Kahlan carefully took the girl in her arms.

"_Barely! She doesn't move, she doesn't speak. She is no more than a plant at your feet."_ The Mord'Sith snapped back taking the girl and seating her comfortably in front of herself. Kahlan just shook her head and mounted a white mare. Aisha's feet were hanging down from one side of the horse. Cara held the girl with one hand and jockeyed with another. They went at a jog-trot in the direction of the Agaden Reach.

On the way Cara noticed that Aisha's body started changing. The Mord'Sith saw claws growing on girl's hands and child's mouth opened a bit to reveal two pair of fangs. Renn didn't notice but he heard Cara's thoughts and immediately caught up with the Mord'Sith to see the changes with his own eyes.

"_Wow! This is huge! How do you think, she'll stay this way if Shota heals her?"_ Renn asked the Mord'Sith.

"_I don't know but you better be somewhere else if she opens her eyes now. I can't control her in this state. We have to find water as fast as we can. She's burning up."_ The woman said to the boy. Renn told Richard about the situation.

After an hour of riding Kahlan heard a purl of a stream. It was a spring running from a rock and making a little pool in the forest wide enough for one man to stand and wash in it. Cara carefully gave the sweating bess to the Seeker. Richard kneeled beside the pool and sank the child into the water protecting her head to get under the surface. The water was chilling. Kahlan took some water in her palms and poured it on girl's face. She washed child's burning forehead. Then the Seeker put the girl on the grass. She was still unconscious and her beasty appearance was there all the blooming time. Though claws and fangs didn't make her ugly, they just made her look unusual, but everyone round her understood that now she must be more dangerous than the demon himself and maybe killing her might be better than preserving her life.

While the company was having lunch, Zedd was reading the journey book he shared with Verna, the sister of light. She told him about the Resistance success but the most important abstract was about a new prophecy. Zedd read it with interested and further wizard was reading gloomier he looked. Suddenly he closed the book with a slap and stood up.

"_Zedd, what is it?"_ Richard asked the wizard.

"_We have to kill the girl."_ He snapped.

"_Why? It's because she has grown claws and fangs? But she healed Cara, she won't be always like that if Shota helps us."_ Kahlan reassured the old man.

"_Verna wrote me the newest prophecy. It says that evil father in his ignorance will teach his child to kill him but the world will turn into a mournful place if mother doesn't control the beasty creature."_ Zedd cited the prophecy word for word.

"_Zedd, since when do you believe in prophecy?"_ The Seeker asked the man angrily. He hated prophecies, predictions and other things that made people drift along without hope to escape their fate.

"_Since no woman, who gave birth to a bess, survived!" _the wizard retorted.

"_There is one."_ Cara said coldly.

"_Do you know her? Do you know where she is?"_ Kahlan looked at the Mord'Sith with hope.

"_Yes. This woman is me."_ Cara looked at the reaction of a very surprised group of people.

"_You?"_

"_You're her mother?"_

" _How?"_

" _When?"_ Richard, Kahlan and Zedd heckled.

"_I knew it."_ Renn said as a matter-of-fact starring at the astonished adults.

"_Cara, how? No woman survived!"_ Zedd persisted in his opinion.

"_No woman gave birth to a female bess." _Cara said simply.

"_Tell us, please, when did it happen?"_ Kahlan touched the Mord'Sith's shoulder. She understood how hard it was for Cara to speak about the past, about all the pain she has been in.

"_It's not important."_ The woman resisted.

"_Cara, please."_ Kahlan wanted her friend to share her sufferings with them. She wanted to ease the pain this woman in red leather has been facing day after day her whole life.

Cara leaned on a tree truck and looked at the horizon.

"_I was fourteen when Darken Rahl made me sleep with the demon. That time Warlock didn't have his powers. He is a child of the Keeper and it takes time for a half-god to master his powers. Darken Rahl was his servant and he supplied the demon with everything he needed in exchange for the dark magic Dracul taught him. I was already the Mord'Sith and my duty was to please and protect the Master - Lord Rahl. Once when I was accompanying Darken Rahl on his walk along the park Warlock saw me. That very evening he told Darken to send me to his room. Rahl refused. I was his lover that time and he didn't want to share his woman with anybody but after a week he has sold me for some kind of a magical secret. I knew it was a death sentence. Every woman who slept with Warlock became pregnant and died in a child birth. I had another opportunity to disobey. That would have given me a little time until the reeducation was over and I would become a slave of my master. I've chosen the last safe variant, I decided to kill myself. I took a dagger and stubbed myself with it. But I'd miscalculated. Triana found me and gave me the Breath of Life. Dracul had fun with me the whole night and months after. I was never alone. He told the Mord'Siths to watch me. When the day came I gave birth to a child. I was trained to stand the pain but that pain I would never forget. I was begging to die. I lost my consciousness and opened my eyes a week after. I didn't care about what happened to the child. Dracul was surprised to see me again. We've been lovers for two months after I recovered from the child birth. When he'd lost interest in me and I was free from men's attention."_ The Mord'Sith finished her long sad story.

Kahlan touched her friend's hand with eyes full with tears: _"I'm so sorry."_

"_Don't be. At least now we know how to kill the demon." _Cara said, her emotions were again fully in control.

"_When did you meet the girl?"_ Richard asked.

"_Two months ago we recruited fresh forces."_ The woman in leather replied.

"_Great!"_ Renn commented.

"_How did you find out she was the bess?"_ Richard went on asking the questions.

"_I've been teaching her when one day she killed my slave. Alina used her agiel and killed Aisha. I gave the girl the Breath of Life. That was the first time I saw claws and fangs. It took some hours for me to understand who she was. So, I stopped the education and made her my slave to control her."_ Cara replied.

"_If you know how to control that creature we should better keep riding."_ The wizard said looking at the girl's unconscious form.

**To be continued…**


	12. Chapter 12

**The Bess**

**Part 12**

The riders entered the Agaden Reach after one more day of journey. Richard rode with still unconscious demonic child in his arms. Renn has nearly fallen from his horse when a branch of the living vine curled over his hand and wanted to pull him down. Cara was faster. She took her agiel and poked the vicious plant. It backed away. They came to a marvelous glade where Shota's palace stood in all its magic glory. Travelers left their horses and went into the palace to meet its owner. Shota was waiting for them in her beautiful throne room.

"_I know, why you came here and my answer is 'no'"_, the witch said starring at the child in Richard's arms. _"I saw what would happen and I don't want this future for any of us. We'd better live with Dracul than this creature enslaves us."_ She pointed at Aisha.

"_Shota, the prophecy from the Creator says that this girl will save us."_ Zedd disagreed.

"_Nobody can control a bess. She's crazy, absolute evil. What I saw is much worse when we have in our time. If I help you to heal the beast all of you will die one after another. She will feast at your graves, no, no, I'm lying. She will regale herself on your flesh. Dracul will have his most horrible weapon – his loyal bess."_ Shota wasn't speaking she was declaring her words as a gospel truth.

Zedd wanted to argue but Cara stopped this dispute taking out her agiel. Shota approached the group while she was talking, so it took the Mord'Sith a second to enforce the witch to do whatever she wanted. Agiel was a quick teacher. The woman in a long black velvet dress obeyed immediately. She recited an incantation and Aisha opened her eyes, though the girl didn't like what she saw. Shota was the nearest to kill and the bess instincts told her to eliminate this strange woman with long wavy hair. In one long jump the girl was at her feet beside the witch. She jumped again and her little but deadly hand ripped Shota's throat open. Zedd hadn't even time to shout _"No-o-o-o!"_ Cara used her agiel but too late. The woman in black fell on the floor. Aisha roared in pain and paid attention to Cara. She showed her fangs to scare the Mord'Sith but it didn't make any impression on the woman in red leather. Aisha stood in pose ready to attack. Zedd used his blast wave power to push the girl aside but it only caused damage to the objects in the room. Kahlan guarded Renn and Richard took out his sword though he didn't know how to use it and not hurt the blonde creature.

Cara attacked. Aisha dodged the blow and stepped aside. Richard was already behind her back. Cara attacked again. This time it was successful. She knocked the girl down though it caused her one agiel. Richard helped the woman to tie the bess up. The child was roaring like a wounded animal. Cara pocked her with agiel.

"_Listen!"_ She smacked the blonde hard in the face. _"I don't want to beat you up but I promise I'll do it if you ever harm any of these people. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes." _A strange animal voice answered.

"_Remember, I'm your Mistress and I always will be. If you disobey I'll kill you!"_ Cara hissed supporting her words with a touch of agiel. The girl howled and shuddered.

"_I'll do as you say."_ Aisha agreed.

"_You'll heal that woman."_ Cara pointed at Shota's dead body.

"_She's dead."_ The bess snapped back.

Cara slapped her again. Aisha felt blood on her lips.

"_I didn't ask you about her state. I told you to heal her!"_ the Mord'Sith was merciless.

"_I need to touch her. You don't give me a chance to stand up and approach her."_ Aisha's dark blue eyes sparkled. Cara pulled the girl up and pushed her towards the body. She didn't untie girl's hands. Aisha kneeled beside Shota and put both hands on the woman. Black tears soaked the black dress. The wound has closed. Cara revived the witch. Zedd helped the former dead woman to stand up.

"_I need a steel collar and magic gauntlets to prevent this beast from killing somebody."_ The Mord'Sith cold tone echoed in the room.

"_She'll kill all of you one by one."_ With these words Shota disappeared and left only a collar with a long steel chain and a pair of gauntlets big enough to hide bess' hands with 5 cm claws.

Cara took the collar and wanted to lock it on Aisha's neck but Kahlan stopped her.

"_Cara, don't do this! She's a child." _

Nevertheless, the Mord'Sith locked the collar and fastened the chain to it: _"She's a bess, an animal. I want you to treat her as the most dangerous pet you ever had. The human in her died the moment she healed me." _Cara looked sternly at Mother Confessor and dressed girl's little hands in gauntlets which clasped on her wrist tightly. Aisha hissed in pain. Renn watched the girl with fear and sorrow.

Cara locked her in a cell. They went about the palace to replenish supplies. Nobody wanted to stay in this gorgeous but very tricky place with lots of magical traps. Zedd checked all the food to protect the group from being poisoned. The Mord'Sith opened the door of the cell and gave Aisha some bread, cooked cereal and a piece of meat. The blonde girl guzzled the meat but she ate bread and cereal without any appetite. Cara almost heard the creature purr when she was eating the meat. The woman gave the slave a mug of water. Aisha tossed it off and demanded some more. After that the Mord'Sith dragged the kid on the chain outside and made her mount a dark mare. The woman sat behind the girl. She wound the chain around her right hand and drew bit. Cara had to cut Aisha's dress on both sides because she couldn't sit in it properly on the back of the horse. Zedd smiled and recited a spell which turned a simple brown dress into a costume for hunting.

"_Hey, I want it too!"_ Renn protested against such injustice.

"_You want a girlish costume for hunting? No problem."_ The old man said something and Renn discovered that he wears a nice blue and white costume with cute bows and rushes. Kahlan and Richard laughed. Cara just grinned.

"_Made it as it was before!"_ the boy said in disgust.

"_Are you sure? You look so pretty! I think I could confuse you with a girl."_ Zedd laughed and turned Renn's garments back. The boy sighed with relief.

"_Why there are no bows on her costume?"_ the listener asked offended by Zedd's trick.

"_She has claws and gauntlets and no sense of humor." _The wizard looked at the girl who was sitting in front of the Mord'Sith. She didn't smile, she was lost in thoughts and nobody knew what was going on in her cloudy evil mind.

They were riding for several minutes. Suddenly the dark mare went into a gallop. Richard spurred his horse to catch up with them. The man saw Aisha tumbling off the galloping mare but the chain prevented her from escaping. It pulled the bess along with the horse. Cara held it tight and the poor kid gripped the collar with both hands to protect her neck from breaking down. Richard led away his horse not to harm the struggling bess. The mare pulled the girl through for 100 meters and stopped. Enraged woman jumped off the horse and went to the creature. She poked Aisha with agiel and pulled the chain so hard that the girl screamed.

"_You wanted to dismount me? To escape from me!"_ Cara hit the child with the agiel. Aisha roared trying to protect her face and stomach at the same time. Richard ran to them. He caught Cara's hand in mid air.

"_Cara, that's enough! Look at her! She's bleeding."_ The Seeker touched girl's chin to see the damage caused by the collar and the agiel. He saw tears in those demon-eyes.

"_She wanted to escape!" _Cara yelled.

"_You don't have to worry about it. It caused her a lot of pain."_ Richard examined the wounds when the trio dismounted and hurried to them.

"_Holy Spirits, what have you done?"_ Kahlan squatted in front of the girl.

"_I did what I had to do."_ The Mord'Sith retorted. Aisha shivered from every touch and whined. Zedd used his powers and partially healed her. He didn't want to cure the girl properly. The wizard wanted her to feel the pain and understand that disobedience had its consequences. Kahlan gently washed the blood from bess' face and neck. Aisha's perfect costume was dirty from grass and soil. The fabric ripped in some places. Kahlan washed the blood and hushed the girl. She hugged her trying to soothe the child. The bess stopped crying and rested her head on Kahlan's shoulder.

"_Come on. We have to go. I don't need to stay in the Agaden Reach."_ Cara said coldly and pulled the chain. The woman took a rope to tie girl's wrists together. Kahlan stopped her.

"_I'll ride with her."_ The Mother Confessor said to the woman.

"_I don't think so. She wanted to escape. If you think that being gentle to her will help you reach her soul, you're mistaken. She is smart and cunning. She'll take you over."_ The Mord'Sith said tightening the knot.

"_I'll take her!"_ Kahlan insisted.

"_Fine! Don't take off the ropes."_ Cara warned the woman in brown dress.

Richard helped the girl to mount the horse. Kahlan sat behind the child. She embraced the girl to hold the reins and they went further. The Mord'Sith rode next to the Mother Confessor. Richard was behind them and Zedd rode next to the boy telling him different stories. Three hours later they went out from the Agaden Reach. Aisha started squirming and moving restlessly. Kahlan told her to stop but when the girl began biting her own arms, Mother Confessor jumped down to catch the falling bess. Aisha was rolling on the grass, howling and biting her wrists. Cara and Kahlan pressed her to the ground to stop this mad behavior.

"_Aisha, stop it!"_ Cara yelled.

"_Take them off! I'm burning."_ The child roared with that strange animal voice.

Kahlan tried to pull the gauntlets but the girl just whirled in pain. Zedd tried the spell though the magical gloves didn't move. Richard didn't know what to do as well as the Mord'Sith. Aisha was howling like a wolf. This sound made the blood freeze. Absent mindedly Cara took the agiels and stroke girl's hands. The gauntlets jumped away as if they were living creatures. The view was horrible. Aisha got a full-thickness burn on both hands. The moment the gauntlets jumped off the collar squeezed on bess' neck. The girl started suffocating. The Mord'Sith poked the magical object with the agiel and it fell on the ground. Kahlan held the sobbing child in her arms.

"_What did I revive that witchy harlot? I should have killed her in the first place!"_ Cara hissed starring at her trembling daughter.

"_She wanted to protect herself. This happened when we rode out from the Agaden Reach."_ Richard gave his hypothesis.

"_Yes, and I'm an old fool. I shouldn't have trusted Shota with powerful magical things. I'm the one who knows this woman the best."_ Zedd reproached himself for being so carefree.

The wizard wanted to heal the girl but in vain. The magic didn't work on burns.

"_We have to find camomile, marigold and comfrey to make a potion and oil the burns."_ Zedd told the group.

"_I saw comfrey in a mile from here."_ Richard said and went away.

"_I try to find marigold."_ The wizard told the women. _"Cara, find the chamomile."_

"_No, I'll stay with Aisha."_ The Mord'Sith refused to leave her slave without guard.

"_Fine. I'll go for the chamomile."_ Kahlan stood up leaving the child on the ground.

"_I'll go with you."_ Renn told the Mother Confessor and they went away.

Cara kneeled beside the girl. She fondled her kid trying to calm her.

"_Aisha, I'm so sorry." _

The girl was surprised to hear such words from her Mistress. Cara continued to caress her. Aisha put her head on Cara's lap and closed her eyes.

Kahlan and Renn were the first to return with armfuls of camomile. Richard and Zedd came back together with marigold and comfrey. They found out that women have already made a fire. They were cooking something delicious in a boiling pot. Renn sat next to Aisha, who was lying on a quilt and her head was resting on Cara's back pack. The boy told her adventure stories he heard from Richard but the girl didn't seem to be interested in them. She put her burnt hands on her stomach and tried not to move. Zedd crushed the plants, made a potion, oiled girl's hands and bandaged them. Aisha growled but tried to stay still. Kahlan fed the kid with the soup they'd cooked. The day went to an end. The bess didn't want to escape. Aisha understood that these people could cure her, so she thought it would be wise to stay with them until her hands would work properly.

**To be continued…**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Bess**

**Part 13**

Renn couldn't bear that glare anymore. Glowing dark blue eyes were staring at him in the dark. The adults were fast asleep. He could hear the wizard snore not far from the fire that was almost out. The boy stood up and went to the Mord'Sith who was on watch.

"_Why aren't you sleeping?"_ Cara asked him.

"_I can't sleep when she's starring at me like that."_ The boy replied.

"_Aisha's awake?"_ It surprised the woman in leather. She turned to the sleeping men lying under the blankets on the bedrolls and went to the girl. Kahlan was sleeping. Her arm, wrapped around Aisha's body, prevented the girl from escaping. Cara dropped on one knee next to the child. Eyes of the creature pierced woman in red.

"_Why aren't you sleeping?"_ the woman asked in a low voice. She didn't want to wake up the brunette.

"_Don't want to."_ Harsh voice whispered.

"_Your hands are aching, aren't they?"_ The Mord'Sith inquired.

The girl didn't answer. Cara remembered the time when she couldn't sleep because pain was so unbearable that the only thing she felt was it. She remembered when she had been lying restlessly, starring in the dark or in the ceiling and begging the pain to stop tearing her body apart. She had been feeling that way since the Mord'Siths took her away.

"_Come on, get up."_ The woman in red leather told the girl. She gently took Kahlan's hand to free the girl from woman's motherly embrace but Kahlan woke up.

"_Hey, what's wrong?"_ the Confessor asked.

"_We'll go hunting."_ Cara said as a matter of fact.

"_What? Where? She has to sleep."_ Kahlan protested.

"_Yeah, the gauntlets almost burnt away her skin. She can't sleep because of it. Can you ease her pain?"_ The Mord'Sith asked coldly.

"_No."_ was the reply.

"_Put him to bed and stay on watch. We go hunting."_ Cara said, took a bow and arrows and disappeared in the dark with Aisha.

Renn turned to the Mother Confessor and said: _"Kahlan, she wants to sink her."_

"_Who wants to sink whom?" _Kahlan couldn't understand what he's babbling about.

"_Cara wants to kill Aisha."_ The boy answered, his voice full of fear.

The Mother Confessor woke up Richard and told him to take care of the boy. The Seeker didn't get what's happened but he obeyed Kahlan's order. All the way to the spring Cara kept her eagle eyes on the bess. She explained the difference between fresh animal tracks and the old ones, though the woman wasn't sure that the girl listened. The Mord'Sith was confused with Aisha's behavior. Girl's psychic state was unstable. Cara couldn't predict what the creature was going to do next: run or maybe smack somebody, kill an innocent person, anything was possible. The woman analyzed this crazy animal behavior trying to understand if the girl calculated each attack or she was doing it instinctively, that observation maybe was their last chance for survival as well as Aisha's. They came closer to the spring. Kahlan, who followed them, saw that it was just an ordinary spring without a full-flowing stream, just water coming from between two huge stones and making narrow way into the forest.

"_Put your hands under the water."_ Cara ordered.

Aisha did as she was told. The water was cold and it abated the pain for awhile not for long, but it was soothing.

"_Kahlan, you can come out from your hiding place."_ Cara said into the dark. Aisha bathed her hands in the stream and purred. The Mother Confessor approached. She looked at the girl then at the woman in dark red leather.

"_Is she…"_ she said astonished.

"_Purring like a cat? I do think so."_ The blonde replied staring critically at the creature splashing in the water. They stood there in silence watching the girl. Fifteen minutes later Aisha had gooseflesh and Cara had to force her to get out of water.

"_Come on, you cannot stay here forever!"_ Cara reprimanded the child.

"_Your costume is wet and you're shivering!"_ Kahlan examined the girl. Aisha just whined refusing to go away. _"We have to dry you." _The Mother Confessor took the child to their camp and Cara went to hunt. Kahlan covered the wet but very satisfied Aisha with her blanket and watched her until the curly creature fell asleep.

Cara came back at sunrise. She carried a wild duck and two big fat hares. The Mord'Sith put her prey on the ground. She was awake all night but she did show how tired she was.

"_Wow! Nice hunt!"_ Richard exclaimed.

"_Yeah!"_ She replied with a sigh.

"_You may have a short nap if you like."_ The Seeker proposed.

"_I'm not tired."_ Cara refused. She noticed Kahlan sleeping next to the girl. Aisha stirred and smelled the air. Suddenly she uncovered her blanket and hurried to Cara.

"_I want meat."_ The bess roared looking at the hares.

"_We'll have them at dinner. We have cheese, bread and apples for breakfast."_ Cara told the creature.

"_Meat!"_ Aisha protested.

"_We have to flay them and to fry them."_ Cara explained patiently.

"_I want it raw."_ With these words she hastened to grab a hare but screamed because the Mord'Sith poked her with an agiel. Everyone in the camp woke up. Cara grabbed the girl, bent to whisper in her ear.

"_I swear, I'll cut off your hands if you take at least one piece of raw meat. Do you understand?" _The Mord'Sith slowly whispered in child's ear.

Kahlan was already standing next to them: _"What's happened?"_

"_Nothing. I'm trying to teach her good manners." _Cara smiled at the Mother Confessor and let Aisha go. The girl immediately embraced Kahlan.

"_She wants to kill me."_ The bess whimpered.

"_No, she doesn't."_ The woman in a long dress stroke gently girl's curly blonde head. Cara rolled her eyes. Richard took the hares and the duck to flay them.

It was 8 o'clock in the morning, if they had watches that time when all the company was eating meat and praised Zedd for the best breakfast ever. Aisha gobbled the meat tearing off big pieces. She roared dissatisfied with hot meal. Kahlan wanted to feed the girl, but the creature grabbed her piece, screamed, dropped it on the ground, because it was too hot, then took it in her claws and went to a big stone where she put it and ate like a dog roaring and showing her fangs to Kahlan, who wanted to help her.

"_This is what I meant, no manners at all."_ Cara said and cut a slice of a duck with a knife. _"Let her be. You can't do anything about the instincts."_

Kahlan shook her head and sat down next to Richard who gave her a piece of hare on a plate.

"_Thank you."_

They went further after breakfast. Richard took Aisha with him. Cara and Kahlan's horses paced side by side.

"_I still don't understand how can you be so cold? It's your daughter."_ Kahlan started the conversation.

"_You're right, she is my daughter, so, please, be so kind and don't give me advice how to educate her."_ Cara retorted.

Kahlan kept silent. They went in silence till the end of the day.

**To be continued…**


	14. Chapter 14

**The Bess**

**Part 14**

Kahlan couldn't stop thinking about Cara's words. She looked at the Mord'Sith and saw herself, a little girl who was raised by a cruel, greedy father, who was always responsible for lives of each person she had confessed, who couldn't be with the man she loved, who was 25 but still had no children. Children… What about them? She wanted a child, Kahlan almost envied the Mord'Sith who was her age but she has already had a teenage child. Yes, maybe the girl was not an ordinary one, maybe Cara didn't want to give birth in the first place. Stop. This idea confused the Mother Confessor.

**Kahlan:**

_What if I were in Cara's shoes? The Mord'Siths had taken me away when I was 9. They tortured and humiliated me. They made me believe a lie and kill my own father, the one who loved me the most. They made a Mord'Sith of me and gave me to Lord Rahl, made me his lover. How old I was? 14? No, I slept with Dracul at that time. 13 or maybe 12? _

The Mother Confessor looked at the Mord'Sith once again. Cara sat straight in the saddle. Her horse was rhythmically pacing along the road.

_Dracul, the man I feared. Darken, the man I had to adore but I despised him. Richard? No, Richard just a true Lord Rahl for her and nothing more. So, Dracul. I knew who he was and I nearly committed a suicide. Actually I committed it but… I'm fourteen, I bear a baby under my heart. I can feel it growing inside me, punching me. I hate it. I have never been with the man I loved. Just a harlot, a girl for pleasure. In the daylight I'm a warrior in the night I'm your mistress._

Kahlan gulped. The woman started to realize that she would kill herself earlier because she couldn't have lived with this. She couldn't have survived. She breathed deep and went on thinking.

_Fine. Would I live with the man I hate? No, I wouldn't. Would I love the child I bear from the man I fear and detest? Yes, it's just an innocent baby. On the other hand he didn't ask if I wanted this child, he used me, he rapped me. I was no more than his toy, he threw me away after he had played with me. Should I love the baby? No, I wouldn't. I hate her. I'm 14. I had to live but this creature would tear me apart. I would die. I hate her!_

Neigh of Cara's horse hit by an arrow and cries of a male crowd running from the woods right in their direction had broken Kahlan's chain of thoughts. Cara jumped from her falling horse and took her agiels. She gathered all the agiels of her now dead sisters. Aisha had sliced one when Cara was under demonizing spell. The woman in red leather was thoughtful enough to take still working agiels. Kahlan turned her mare to face the crowd of D'Haran soldiers.

"_Zedd, hide the children."_ Richard shouted pulling Aisha off the horse and dragging her to the wizard, because she wanted to escape the very time she noticed the soldiers. Renn was standing near the old man. Zedd grabbed the girl who struggled to break away and whispered something. Within a second the tall man with two children disappeared in the air.

Kahlan on her horse broke into enemies ranks and took away three D'Haran lives. Cara was fighting five men and Richard was circled by four soldiers. Suddenly a flash of lightening tore Kahlan down from her horse. She appeared in fifteen meters from her mare right in the D'Haran crowd. There were 10 men whom she had to fight. Zedd used his magic to tie up the unruly girl, told Renn to watch her and hurried to the battlefield. The Mother Confessor blocked somebody's sword, dodged a blow and stabbed a man. Zedd was right there and burned three men giving Kahlan the time for the attack. Richard has already killed two D'Harans and his sword cut the air with whistle blocking and attacking the blows from two sides. Cara used the power of her agiels and the blood running from three dead bodies soaked the soil. Zedd used the "lasso" spell to take two men away from Kahlan, but he saw a lightening, a strange grey naked human figure and Mother Confessor's knees buckled. The woman collapsed on the ground. She was stabbed into the chest by her own dagger. Within a second the male figure disappeared. The wizard hurried to Kahlan burning the D'Harans on his way while Richard and Cara were eliminating other soldiers. Zedd kneeled beside the woman in brown dress. The dagger damaged her lung, the old man could see it by a little stream of scarlet blood running down her chin.

"_Kahlan, you're gonna be all right."_ Zedd promised, though he wasn't so sure. She was dying in his arms.

Cara heard Renn's cry and hurried to the boy. Zedd hid the children in 300 meters from the field of action. The Mord'Sith was wounded badly too. Her right arm was bleeding heavily leaving a trace of blood on green grass. Richard took care of two last soldiers and ran to Zedd. He kneeled beside Kahlan stroking hair from her face.

"_Richard, I love you."_ She whispered to him coughing blood and soiling his hands with it. The wizard pulled the dagger. The Seeker held in his arms dead body of the woman he loved.

"_No-o-o-o!"_ Richard cried embracing the body.

Cara has reached Renn. The boy was starring absent-mindedly on a vacant place where Aisha was lying a minute ago.

"_Renn, what's happened?"_ Cara asked trying to catch her breath.

"_I don't know. She was struck by a lightening and then disappeared."_ The listened answered still not believing that it was possible. _"You're bleeding."_

"_I know." _Cara didn't pay much attention to his words. They heard Richard's cry and ran to the group.

Zedd was standing in front of the man grieving over his loss. Renn stopped half way stunned by the scene. He has been with Kahlan, Richard and Zedd for three weeks and Kahlan's dead body overwhelmed him. The Mord'Sith kneeled beside the Seeker.

"_Let her go."_ She snapped at the man. The woman in red leather bent and breathed something sweet and full of light into Kahlan's mouth. The Mother Confessor opened her eyes. The wound from the dagger disappeared.

"_Who stabbed you?" _Cara asked.

"_Gramond."_ Zedd answered instead of Kahlan.

"_Who?"_ The trio repeated at the same time.

"_A creature from the Underworld. He can move from one point to another like a lightening, but no more than for 200 meters."_ The wizard explained.

"_He took Aisha away."_ The listener said looking at Kahlan now alive.

"_Nice!" _Cara hissed. Her face looked paler. The blood hasn't stopped yet.

"_You're wounded."_ Kahlan noticed a deep gash on the Mord'Sith's shoulder.

"_I'm fine. It was you who had died."_ Cara snapped back. _"We must find the girl." _She stood up but Zedd stopped her.

"_We're not going anywhere until I heal you."_ The old man insisted. He pressed hands to Cara's bleeding shoulder. She wrinkled. The wizard pronounced a spell and the wound has disappeared little by little. The sound of crushed branches attracted their attention. They followed the sound. The picture was charming. The bess all covered in blood sat on the grass howling. A grey-skinned male creature with his neck torn was lying dead. One of Kahlan's daggers was stuck into the soil next to him.

"_Aisha, are you all right?"_ Kahlan bent over the girl.

"_My hands, my hands."_ A hoarse voice cried. The bess pressed poor hands to her chest. Her face was covered in man's blood.

"_Let me see."_ Kahlan took child's hand in hers. Blood soaked the bandage. _"Don't cry."_ She kissed her on the forehead. _"We need to clean your hands and change the bandage."_

While Richard and Zedd were gathering the dispersed horses, Kahlan fussed over Aisha, Renn approached Cara who was busy picking soldiers' pockets and taking out all necessary things.

"_Thank you."_ The listener said.

"_For what?"_ Cara asked.

"_For not blaming me for Aisha's disappearance." _

The Mord'Sith stood up and starred at the boy in amusement: _"Why should I?"_

"_You're her mother." _He answered simply.

Cara didn't manage to say anything when the boy read her thoughts.

"_Why did you fear for me instead of your daughter when you had found us?" _Renn asked.

"_She is smart, crazy, dangerous, evil creature. Zedd shouldn't have left you alone with her. You've seen what that monster did to Kahlan but Aisha didn't have even a scratch on her skin. Do I need to explain further?"_ the woman in leather said seriously.

"_Thank you for bringing Kahlan back to live." _The boy smiled.

"_Yeah, help me with these things."_ Cara told the listener pointing at a heap near her feet.

"_With pleasure!"_ Renn started gathering daggers, arrows, lumps of sugar and other "small" things which Cara has picked in the pockets.

They've lost one horse. Now Renn was satisfied to sit on the back of the horse in front of the Mord'Sith, while Kahlan carried Aisha on her mare. Richard's horse paced next to Kahlan's and Zedd rode next to Cara and the boy telling the stories. The Mord'Sith has just gritted her teeth not to snap at the wizard. She was tired from the sleepless night and unexpected fight against at least 10 soldiers whom she killed with pleasure. Renn babbled something all the way long which was driving the woman mad but the listener was happy as a king.

In the evening they found a good place near a small stream where they've made a camp. Richard took the first watch.

**To be continued…**


	15. Chapter 15

**The Bess**

**Part 15**

The pouring rain influenced the mood of the riders. Breakfast passed very quickly and almost in silence, because the water pouring down from the sky soaked everything around, so it was useless to make a fire. They ate cheese with bread and drank water from their skins. Aisha grumbled that there was no meat. Kahlan gave her an apple but she refused. Zedd took it eagerly and crunched it immediately. Kahlan just rolled her eyes. The horses were wet too. The women wrapped children in D'Haran's red cloaks which Cara had very wisely taken from dead soldiers. Richard took the boy and Kahlan rode with the girl.

"_Holy Creator!"_ Zedd exclaimed reading his journey book he shared with Verna.

"_What is it?"_ Cara asked.

"_Berdine came to the Resistance. Verna says she was alone and beaten black and blue. Berdine told her that Dracul wanted to kill her and she escaped."_ The wizard explained.

"_It's a lie! Write the Sister of Light to kill Berdine. I'm sure Lord Dracul uses her as an informant. And tell her to move to other place because they're in danger if Berdine is there."_ The Mord'Sith instructed.

"_But Cara, Berdine could have told Dracul about their location long ago."_ Zedd protested.

"_Zedd, I've seen her reeducation. I can't read demon's mind but if Berdine came to the Resistance he's up to something. She's his slave now. She'll do whatever he says. I don't want those people to die, because they know her as a friend. She's not a friend anymore, like Aisha is not a human being anymore. We have to be cautious."_ Cara insisted.

Zedd nodded. As a wise old man he understood that the Mord'Sith was right. They couldn't throw their work down the drain. They were responsible for too many lives, for the lives of people who followed the Seeker and fought for the light to come. People who believed in Richard and Kahlan and everything they have been doing for them.

The rain has been pouring the whole day long. The horses began to sink in the mud. They stopped several times to get the horses out of mud. Everybody were wet and tired, especially children. In the evening they came to a village and found a tavern. Richard took care of the horses. Zedd and Kahlan paid for the rooms, hot dinner and a bath. They had to wash. Mud covered them from top to toe. The riders finished quickly the hot meal and went upstairs to wash and go to bed.

The bath consisted of a big basin with warm water and three buckets of hot water for women. There were three beds in men's room and only two in women's. Kahlan proposed Aisha to wash the first but the girl refused. There was a folding screen in the room. So, the Confessor took off her clothes and washed behind the screen. She appeared in her beautiful white dress. Her hair was wet. She took the brush to comb them.

"_Come on, Aisha. It's your turn."_ Cara said to the girl and came closer to help her undress. Aisha moved her shoulder to shake Cara's hand. _"What's wrong? You can't wash in your clothes." _

Aisha curled into a ball taking her knees closer to her chest and clasped her sore hands in front of them. Kahlan watched the situation.

"_Aisha, you know me. Don't make me tear your clothes away. You have to wash."_ The woman in red leather tried to undress her again but the bess swiftly sliced Cara's hand with her claws. The Mord'Sith hissed. Blood from the cut dropped on the floor. _"I warned you." _Cara took out her agiels.

"_Cara, no!"_ Kahlan yelled and pulled her away from the kid. The Mord'Sith backed away. She threw her agiels on one of the beds, took off her red costume remaining in black lace underwear, she took the towel and went behind the screen giving the Mother Confessor time to deal with the stupid child.

"_Aisha."_ Kahlan began her persuasion, - _"Aisha, please, you cannot go to bed dirty. I have to wash your clothes. You're a good girl, you have to wash. You aren't a dirty creature, are you?"_

Kahlan wanted to touch the girl, but the bess hissed at her, ran to the window and jumped out. The Confessor hasn't even realized that they were on the second floor.

"_Aisha!"_ Kahlan cried from the window in the dark, but the silhouette of little girl disappeared in the stable.

"_Great! You, with your kind-heartedness make me sick! When would you understand, that she's not a child? Don't be gooey with her or she'll make you pay for it."_ Cara reprimanded the other woman appearing in front of her wrapped in a towel. Her hair was wet.

"_I'll go get her!"_ Kahlan said heading to the door.

"_Stay here! I'm already wet."_ Cara told Kahlan, dropped the towel on the floor revealing her gorgeous naked body, slipped into a short linen gown that barely covered her knees, put on the boots, took her agiels and went outside through the window.

"_She ran to the stables!"_ It was the only thing Kahlan had time to shout to the Mord'Sith, who jumped into a puddle and cursed the stupid kid for dragging her out into the rain instead of sleeping in a warm bed.

Kahlan went to the door but it opened right in front of her with a bang. Three women in red with dacras in hands stared at her. One of them threw the dacra at Kahlan who rolled back and took the daggers. Dacra stuck in the wall. The Mother Confessor heard the clank of metal. It was Richard who fought with the Sister's of the Dark. Kahlan killed one woman by throwing a dagger at her. Two others attacked.

**The Stable:**

Cara opened the door to the stable. It was dark inside. She could slightly recognize the silhouettes of objects.

"_I know you're here, Aisha. You can't hide from your Mistress."_ Cara said loudly pacing to the horses. Suddenly she heard a breath behind her back. She punched somebody in the stomach and poked him or her with the agiel. The female voice screamed. Cara repulsed flying dacra with her stick and hit the other woman with agiel in the face. In few minutes two dead sisters fell on the floor.

"_Drop your agiels or she'll die!"_ A voice said. Somebody lighted a candle and Cara saw the girl in hands of the Sister of the Dark. Two women in red dresses stood beside the dark haired woman with the child.

"_Kill her! Do me a favor! I came here to kill her, if you do it for me I'll be pleased."_ The Mord'Sith hissed.

"_Are you sure?"_ The brunette asked evilly.

"_Yes, please. Lord Dracul sent me to kill her."_ The Mord'Sith replied counting seconds to attack and the possible ways to escape.

"_You're loyal to the Seeker." _

"_Yes, Richard trusts me. I can get closer and I did, but you have ruined everything!" _Cara snapped back. While she was talking she approached the sisters, close enough to reach them in a jump. She did as she had calculated. In one long jump she touched the brunette with her weapon. The woman let the dacra slip from her hands. Aisha kicked the woman in the leg with her boot, cut her wrist with claws and jumped aside.

"_Aisha, run!"_ Cara shouted but the girl in a short jump ripped open the throat of other woman in red. Cara smashed somebody's face with her agiel and killed the brunette with the second weapon. When the fight was over the Mord'Sith turned to the bess. _"Thanks! Though I don't like, when you bite their carotids open. It's practical but really disgusting."_

The creature didn't frown at such an impudent remark. She blew at her hands which were covered in bloody bandages.

"_Let's go. We have at least to stop that bleeding."_ Cara put her arm over girl's shoulders.

**The tavern:**

Six dead female bodies were lying on the floor. Two were in women's room, three – at the stair platform and one in the men's room. Richard grilled the owner of the tavern, who was surely responsible for this little incident with the Sisters of the Dark. Zedd took care of the dead bodies and Renn was downstairs watching the Seeker interrogating a very pale owner. Kahlan ran to Cara when she entered the room with the child.

"_Aisha, are you all right?"_ Kahlan embraced the poor kid who was trying desperately not to touch the woman in white dress with her bloody hands.

"_Yes, thanks for the concern, but I have an unfinished business."_ Cara seized Aisha by the collar and dragged her upstairs. Kahlan wanted to follow them but the Mord'Sith stopped her. _"Don't mess with me!"_ Cara hissed. She said it so maliciously that even Kahlan obeyed. Cara's dress was wet and stuck to her perfect body, water from her hair dropped on the floor, her boots were dirty of dung and her hand bleed because Aisha cut it earlier. She was furious, so Kahlan decided to back off. When the door to their room has closed, they heard screams and roaring, then whining and squealing, then everything was silent after 15 minutes. The Mother Confessor cautiously went into the room. A sound of pouring water was heard from behind the screen.

"_Fine! Now turn around."_ Cara told the shivering naked girl covered in soap suds. She took a strip of cloth and began to rub the girl with it. _"Bend over so I can wash your hair."_ The woman ordered. The girl did as she was told to. Tears from her cheeks dropped into the basin and mixed with soapy water. Cara finished the washing and wrapped the poor kid in a thick towel. While Cara was busy washing Aisha's clothes, Kahlan bandaged girl's hands. The girl shivered and couldn't stop crying.

"_Cara, look!"_ The Mother Confessor called the Mord'Sith. Cara's head appeared from the screen, she stared at the bess, who turned into a ten-year-old beautiful girl without claws and fangs. It was Aisha again, not the beasty creature with a slightly deformed backbone and horrible behavior.

"_Dress her up! She has a change of underwear in her back-pack."_ Cara said simply and returned to her work.

Kahlan helped the girl to put on her clothes and began combing her unmanageable curly locks. Aisha sat silent still shivering a little. The girl has stopped crying.

"_Look at you! Now you're clean. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life. Interesting, how many hearts you'll break when you become a young lady."_ Kahlan murmured over the girl. Aisha just let out a slight sob. After combing girl's hair Kahlan told Aisha to get in bed. She covered the girl with a blanket and kissed her 'Good night'.

"_I'll go see how Renn is doing."_ The Confessor told the Mord'Sith and left the room.

Kahlan knocked at the door and entered men's room. Zedd was fast asleep in his bed. Renn was in the bed too but he jumped out when he saw Kahlan.

"_Is Aisha all right?"_ He asked with his eyes wide open.

"_Yes, don't worry. She's fine. The change of bandages is too painful for her."_ She lied smiling at the boy. _"Why aren't you sleeping?"_ She pushed the boy to his bed, made him lie down and covered him.

"_Will you tell me a story?"_ the listener asked eagerly.

"_Hey, the Mother Confessor is tired like everybody here. Zedd is already sleeping. So, close your eyes and sleep or I'll tell Cara to lull you with an agiel."_ Richard looked sternly at the boy.

"_Fine, but tomorrow you'll tell me a story."_ Renn agreed.

"_Yes, tomorrow you'll hear the most beautiful story."_ Kahlan kissed him in the cheek told the Seeker 'Good night' and left them.

**Women's room:**

"_Move aside." _Cara said slipping under the blanket. Aisha moved to the wall. The girl started shivering again when the Mord'Sith lied next to her.

"_Listen, everybody comes to this world naked, you, me, Kahlan, everyone. You shouldn't be ashamed of your nakedness but people who look at you should. I know your father was a jerk. What he did to you was wrong. You have to step it over. Don't ever show your vulnerability to anyone or you'll be dead. Weak people can be manipulated easily and it is better for them to die swiftly or their torture will be permanent. So, stop crying and stop shivering. By showing your weakness you give others the opportunity to treat you as they wish, do you understand?"_ Cara demanded the girl, who was facing the wall scared to turn to her Mistress.

"_Yes, Mistress Cara."_ Aisha whispered trying to fight her tears.

Cara stroke gently girl's back: _"I know you're in pain. I'm sorry I used my agiels… Try to sleep, we'll leave early in the morning."_

**To be continued…**


	16. Chapter 16

**The Bess**

**Part 16**

Cara woke up and saw Kahlan mending clothes.

"_What are you doing?"_ She asked the Mother Confessor standing up and going behind the screen to wash.

"_I'm sewing children's clothes. Aisha's suit is ruined and Renn needs new underwear. We should find a tailor's shop in this village and buy clothes."_ Kahlan suggested.

"_Where do you find in this Creator-forsaken hole a seller who would be so kind to sell the Mord'Sith and the Mother Confessor, who are obviously out-laws, any garments?"_ Cara asked with sarcasm splashing cold water over herself. It was too early in the morning. The tavern was sleeping. The sun tried to get up lazily into the sky.

"_To my mind we should get outta here as fast as we can. Nobody knows how many cut-throats the owner informed. I don't want to get into a trap only because you want to please little bastards."_ Cara continued.

"_Cara, how can you say so? I don't understand how can you be so cold? They are children! I wish I had a child of my own."_ Kahlan confessed.

"_And I wish I hadn't any."_ Cara snapped back appearing before Kahlan in her red suit. _"Besides you had plenty of time to seduce Richard but you decided to die virgin. It's your choice."_

"_You don't understand!"_ Kahlan hissed lowering her voice for Aisha not to hear anything. The girl was sound asleep. _"If I sleep with Richard he'll become my slave."_

"_So what? He's already your slave! He loves you so much, that if you forbid him to breathe he will stop breathing just to please you." _The Mord'Sith insisted. In her mind Kahlan agreed with Cara. Richard was always beside her since the time they had first met. They were inseparable. Though Kahlan couldn't admit it in front of the woman, she just let out a sigh.

"_Aisha's suit is still wet and she hasn't anything else to change into."_ Kahlan informed.

"_Fine. Let's find a tailor."_ The woman in red leather agreed.

"_Wait for me downstairs. I just tell Richard to keep an eye on Aisha." _Kahlan said and left the room.

Aisha woke up late only because she heard Renn's voice nagging Richard to order breakfast. She stretched herself in the bed and her body immediately remembered the touch of agiels, burnt hands and bruises caused by the Sisters of the Dark.

"_Hello, sleepyhead!"_ Zedd greeted the girl.

"_Good morning! Where are Kahlan and Cara?"_ the girl asked.

"_They went to buy something. Get up. Kahlan sewed your suit, I dried it. Come on, I help you to dress up."_ The wizard said waiting for her to get up from the bed.

"_What about to wash my face?"_ she asked him jokingly showing him her bandaged hands. Zedd growled but washed her face splashing water with his big hand not only over her face but also over her chest and shoulders.

"_Hey, I haven't asked to wash me whole!"_ Aisha told him trying to shake water from her ears.

Zedd took the towel to dry the child but she grabbed it and started to dry herself.

"_Thanks, I can dress up by myself."_ She told him and put the towel over his bent arm.

Cara and Kahlan stepped into the room. Cara threw two sacks on the bed.

"_What happened to you?"_ Kahlan asked the girl whose top was all wet.

"_Zedd helped me to wash my face."_ She said smiling. Kahlan raised a brow at the wizard.

"_What? I'm not a nanny!"_ He objected folding arms in front of him.

"_Come here, Nature's Mistake."_ Cara said to Aisha. The girl approached her obediently.

"_Raise your hands up."_ The Mord'Sith told the child and took off her top.

She took another one from the sack and started to dress up the girl. After a few minutes Aisha was in a pair of black tight pants, a long blue embroidered shirt that reached her knees and a black belt embracing her waist. Cara buckled her old boots and looked at the girl critically.

"_You were right."_ She told the Mother Confessor. _"It fits."_

"_This is male clothing."_ Aisha protested.

"_Excuse me! There are no decent garments for a small travelling girl in this village. If you don't like them than you'll go naked." _Cara warned the girl.

"_No, I like it. Thank you."_ Aisha said quickly standing beside Kahlan. Kahlan stroked gently her head.

Renn's head sneaked into the room: _"The breakfast is ready! Are you coming?"_

Everyone gathered at the table downstairs. The visitors watched them closely but nobody had enough courage to come closer and speak.

"_Where are you fangs and claws? You look unusual."_ Renn said looking at Aisha. She didn't answer. _"And why she's in new clothes again? It's male garments." _he pronounced with indignation.

"_Her suit is ruined and we've bought you a pair of new pants and underwear. They are in the room."_ Kahlan explained.

"_Thanks. So, how did you turn back into normal? It's because of those shrieking sounds coming from your room, isn't it?"_ the listener continued to mock at the girl.

"_Shut up!"_ Aisha snapped glowering at him.

"_Renn, enough!"_ Kahlan warned the boy.

They ate in silence. After breakfast they gathered their things and went to the stables.

"_I'll ride with Kahlan!"_ the boy exclaimed standing next to the woman.

"_No, I ride with Kahlan!"_ Aisha said running to Kahlan and taking her by the hand.

"_Oh, you're becoming popular." _Cara said sarcastically preparing her horse for travelling.

"_No, Renn. You'll have your own mare and Aisha will go with me."_ The Mother Confessor solved their dispute.

"_It's not fair! Yesterday you promised me a story! Why do you always protect that creature? She can ride with Cara!"_ He shouted angrily.

Cara turned to stare at the boy: _"We hired you a mare! You're a big boy to ride on your own. And you know what, you'll take Aisha as well."_

"_I won't ride with that monster!" _Renn protested and was clipped immediately on the back of his head by Richard.

"_I won't go with you either, freak!"_ Aisha hissed receiving a box on the ear from the Mord'Sith.

Both children scratched bruised places and stared at each other trying to kill with their looks.

"_You'll ride together end of discussion."_ Cara snapped at them.

Renn straddled the mare and Richard picked up Aisha and sat her behind the boy.

"_Hold on Renn."_ The Seeker gave her an advice but she refused.

The listener made the horse to stand on its back legs. Aisha gripped Renn's shirt to remain sitting on the mare. It caused her a lot of pain. Her injured hands protested but she held on the boy.

"_Renn, don't do that again or I'll smack you!"_ Kahlan warned the listener from her horse.

The group left the village. Nothing happened during the day. Children rode the whole day in silence. They were sulky with each other and preferred not to talk at all. Cara and Kahlan discussed some female secrets. Richard and Zedd chose the safe road to go. They found a place and set up a camp for the night. Cara was the first on watch as always. She noticed a male figure hiding in the bushes. She went there but it disappeared. Now the man was standing deeper in the woods near a tree.

"_Cara!"_ A voice called. It was so familiar. _"Cara!" _It called repeated.

Cara followed the man. She didn't admit that she went father in the woods. The figure stopped and turned to the Mord'Sith. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"_Father?"_ she asked surprised. _"It can't be true."_

"_Yes, Cara! It's me." _The man replied and hugged her.

"_You died. I killed you."_ Cara told the man.

"_Cara, you don't have to reproach yourself with it. You were just a little girl. I'm proud of whom you've become. I'm proud of my little girl."_ The man said. He looked as if he has just come from fishing. He looked the same as the day the Mord'Siths took little Cara away.

"_Dad, I'm so sorry."_ Cara cried leaning her head on his chest. He stroked her hair and soothed her.

Aisha woke up to a shrieking sound which came from the lake not far from their camp. She stood up and was very surprised to find the bedding rolls empty. She called for Kahlan, Zedd or Richard but silence was the only answer. Her head began to ache because of the sound. It made hair on the back of her head bristle. Instead of running from the sound she went to the lake. A strange female creature sat on a snag combing her long fair hair. Her skin was pale. When the girl approached this woman she discovered that instead of legs this strange creature had a long golden fish-tail. It was her, who uttered those sickening sounds. The girl also saw Renn walking right on the surface of water towards a transparent female figure. He has already reached the middle of the lake. Aisha called him but he didn't hear her. He went further.

"_Who are you little girl and what's your wish?"_ Green glowing eyes stared at Aisha.

"_What did you do to Renn?"_ Aisha asked the creature.

"_I make human's wishes come true. He wished to be with his mother. I gave him the opportunity."_ The woman smiled. _"What's your wish?" _She looked at Aisha's bandaged hands. _"You can take the bandages off. You don't need them anymore." _

Aisha unwrapped her hands. They were healed.

"_Thank you!"_ she thanked the half naked lady. _"Now, please, turn him back."_ She pointed at Renn who stood right in front of the transparent woman.

The mermaid laughed: _"You're the first innocent child who talks to a mermaid. People see us only when they are close to death but you're so brave that you have come here to chat. I understand my voice has a magical impact on people. It charms and their illusions become the reality only to bring them to the grave. It is surprising that you are standing here, talking to me."_

Aisha came closer to the woman gripping her hair and cutting a part of it with her claws.

"_Maybe because I'm just a half-human!"_ the girl hissed in mermaid's ear. _"Call him back or you'll die, Fish." _Fangs and claws convinced the mermaid that the girl wasn't joking.

The woman opened her mouth to sing but the shrieking cry made Aisha close ears with her hands. That very moment mermaid jumped into the water. Aisha jumped after her. She hooked up the tail and swam underwater with the creature. The mermaid went deeper and deeper. The girl was suffocating. She cut the caudal fin and swam to the surface. She inhaled some air and dived again. A minute later she emerged on the surface with Renn who inhaled air ardently.

"_Swim to the shore and find the others."_ A hoarse voice roared. Renn didn't have time to reply because Aisha disappeared under the water as if somebody dragged her down. He swam to the shore as fast as he could. Mermaid dragged the girl to the bottom. The bess bent and sliced the wrist holding her foot. It gave the girl time to attack again. A deep slash on woman's throat colored water in red. Aisha made an effort and swam to the surface gasping for air. The mermaid didn't touch the child. Renn reached the shore. He helped the bess out of water.

"_What was it?"_ the boy asked.

"_Don't know but others are in danger."_ Aisha replied with her animal voice. _"We have to find them fast."_

Children heard muffled sounds coming from behind the trees. They ran there and found vivid vine that covered something live with its branches. The sounds resembled human mumbles when a person wanted to speak with a full mouth. Renn noticed Kahlan's and Richard's clothes lying on the ground. He unsheathed the Sword of Truth and started cutting the vine. Aisha heard rustling of leaves and ran away. The branches of vine firstly wanted to attack Renn but as the boy crushed them with the sword they backed away revealing two naked adults lying one on the other. Renn's eyes widened as he saw the Seeker lying on top of Kahlan. He stared at them in confusion. Richard had to shout at the boy to turn away.

Aisha found Zedd. He was on the ground fighting a big serpent that wanted to strangle the old man. The bess ran to the wizard and sunk her claws into the body of the beast. She traced her hand along the backbone of the snake causing it to lose its grip. Zedd set one of his hands free and burnt the beast with wizard's fire taking Aisha away from the wriggling serpent. He hadn't time to thank the girl when they heard Cara's cry. Old man and the bess rushed to the Mord'Sith. Half of woman's body sank into the bog. She moved trying to get out but it swallowed her up deeper and deeper.

"_Don't move!"_ Zedd shouted. _"Aisha, give me that branch."_ He pointed to a long thick branch.

Wizard took the branch, lied down, stretch his hand with the branch towards Cara. The Mord'Sith sunk to her chest. She held her arms high to be on the surface. She couldn't reach the branch. It was too short but the wizard spelled it and made it grow. He put all of his efforts to take the woman out. When she was on the ground, the mud covering her red leather turned to porcelain. It was hard to breathe. Cara suffocated. She couldn't move. Zedd took the branch and hit Cara with it. The costume broke to pieces. The Mord'Sith remained in her black lace underwear.

"_Are you all right?"_ the wizard asked her.

"_Yes, thank you."_ She replied gasping for air.

**An hour later near the fire**

The company sat near a lively fire. Cara was wearing Kahlan's white dress because she hadn't any change of clothes except a short simple gown for sleeping. Aisha was herself again. Her claws and fangs disappeared. They were drying together with Renn near the fire.

"_What was that?"_ the Mother Confessor asked confused.

"_It was a mermaid, an Underworld creature, who attracts victims with her voice. It can bewitch a person and turn the reality into a delusion. A legend says a mermaid is a female lover, who drowned herself because of unanswered love. People tell about a woman in a white transparent dress who sings human beings to their graves."_ The wizard explained.

"_Actually, it was a pretty female fish with a disgusting voice."_ Aisha said matter-of-factly.

"_What do you mean by a female fish?"_ Richard asked.

"_She was a half-woman with a tail instead of legs and her 'charming voice' resembled a voice of an animal tearing apart by the others."_ The girl answered.

"_At least we have someone who brought us back to reality."_ Kahlan stroked white curly hair.

"_And that creature really makes wishes come true."_ Aisha showed her healed hands.

Everybody smiled.

_**All your questions about everything what has happened between Richard and Kahlan will be answered in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one**___


	17. Chapter 17

**The Bess**

**Part 17**

**Nota Bene on the previous chapter:** _**A mermaid according to the Slavic tribes was really a lover who sank herself because of her broken heart. I've just interpreted it by my own way. Ancient people where afraid of ponds and lakes in the wood. They believed that women in transparent clothes come out from the water in the moonlight. They sing and dance in the ring. That singing made strangers go with those dead persons in the deep of the lake.**_

Nobody thought about taking a nap though everyone was exhausted. Cara told kids to take off their clothes. She wrapped them in long D'Haran cloaks and hanged their clothes on sticks near the fire to dry. Kahlan and Richard stood up to leave the company.

"_Where are you going?"_ Zedd asked two adults who wanted to sneak away just like toddlers.

"_We… we are… we need to talk."_ The Seeker finally explained, took Kahlan by the hand and they disappeared in the woods. Zedd frowned but said nothing.

When they have realized that nobody would hear, Kahlan stopped near a big tree trunk and leaned on it.

"_Richard… I want to…"_ She breathed out his name.

"_What? You're sorry for what we did?"_ He asked taking her soft hand in his.

"_No… no, of course not. It was the most beautiful moment in my life. I just… I want to be sure that I didn't harm you."_ She said looking into his eyes.

"_Do I call you Mistress? Demand me, and you'll see, I'm the same. Though not particularly the same. I'm the happiest man in the world. I love you."_ He assured, kissing her.

"_How could this be possible?"_ Kahlan asked not believing that love between them was true.

"_I don't know, but I'm Richar Cypher. The Seeker, who's loved you since the day we met." _He kissed her again.

"_I love you too."_ She kissed him back. _"But we shouldn't risk like that again. This was magic that helped us."_

"_Kahlan, I love you. I don't understand your way of protecting me from you. I'm no longer a symbol of anything. I'm just a man, who fights against evil. You won't do me any harm if you confess me. I want to be with you."_ He told his lover.

"_You're not just a man. You're the Seeker, you're a leader who raised the Resistance, who tries to make this world better. You're the hope of people. I can't enslave you."_ She shook her head.

"_I love you, so I'll respect your decision, but that what has happened today, it'll be always in my heart, until you changed your mind. I'll wait."_ Richard told her and turned to leave. The Mother Confessor sighed and followed him.

The sun brought a new day. It passed without any adventures. While adults were gathering wood and making the fire, Renn and Aisha went to fill the water-skins in the nearest spring. Aisha was filling the skins when Renn approached her with a flower in his hand. He gave it to the girl. She frowned.

"_I haven't thanked you for saving me."_ The boy said simply.

She nodded taking the flower: _"You're welcome."_ She smiled. _"Why did you go after that transparent woman?"_

"_I wanted to see my mom again. I miss her very much. She died when I was a child."_ He replied shuffling his feet and starring at the grass.

"_I wish I could have seen mine too, though it's impossible."_ The girl smiled as she remembered the woman with long dark hair and beautiful brown eyes. It was the only mother she knew.

"_You can see her every day."_ Renn looked at the girl as if she was a fool.

"_My mom died, when I was five or six. I barely remember her."_ Aisha pronounced.

"_She was a woman who took care of you but she wasn't your real mother. Cara is your mother."_ Renn told her the truth.

"_You're making this up!"_

"_No, I'm not! Do you know what do adults do when they want kids?"_

"_Maybe, what are you driving at?"_ Aisha hissed smashing the flower in her hand.

"_So then __go into a huddle with yourself about it. You're a bess. It means the only woman who was the closest to the demon was a Mord'Sith and not some sort of a peasant girl."_ The listener concluded.

"_Now you want to say that my mom wasn't good enough for that pervert." _

"_What? I didn't say that!"_ Renn was taken aback by Aisha's words.

"_Yeah, what are you looking at? Want to know what it's like to make love, to see somebody naked?" _Aisha made a step forward. _"Do you think that my mom was a slut? Wanna see me naked?"_

"_No, no… Calm down, please." _The listener took a step back. His next intention was to run, but the creature floored him. The boy screamed as claws touched his neck but a poke of agiel made the bess turn around to see the tormentor.

"_Get off of him!"_ angry voice commanded.

Aisha hissed showing fangs but rolled aside. She gave Cara a sullen look.

"_You, take the water skins!"_ The Mord'Sith commanded to the boy. _"You, walk in front of me! I want to watch you all the way back to the camp."_ Cara barked at the girl.

The picture of Cara in white Confessor's dress with an agiel in hand was stunning. Even Kahlan admitted it. She was really confused to see Aisha with fangs again.

"_What happened?"_ Kahlan asked the woman.

"_Who knows? I found them fighting near the spring. I can torture her to find out." _Cara pushed the girl and made her sit down on the grass.

"_No."_ Kahlan bent beside the bess. _"Aisha, are you all right?" _

"_Fine!" _animal answered. She glowered at Renn, who brought the skins and plopped them near the satchels.

"_Why are you always so obsessed with her? She isn't even your daughter!"_ the boy shouted. "_You know what? Your real mother hates you with all her heart! She wants badly to kill you but you have that stupid power to kill Lord Dracul. You're no more than an evil animal creature!"_ Renn yelled at Aisha. Richard ran to the boy and smacked him hard. The blow was so terrible that the listener dropped to the ground.

"_Don't ever say such things, do you understand?"_ The Seeker yelled at the poor kid who wiped blood from his lower lip. Renn jumped to his feet and ran into the woods.

"_What's wrong?"_ asked Zedd dropping a pile of woods near the fire.

"_This boy needs a good scolding."_ Cara threw a remark.

"_Maybe it's you who should care just a little bit!"_ The Mother Confessor snapped at her standing up and passing by Richard. She stopped abruptly in front of the Seeker. _"If you ever again lift your hand against this boy, I'll chop it off! He nearly drowned yesterday following the ghost of his dead mother and you smacked him, why? Because Cara has a piece of ice instead of heart! They are children and they want somebody to care for them not to hit them every single day!"_

The woman was in fury. She pushed Richard aside and went after Renn. The man was ashamed. He felt that Kahlan was right. The Mord'Sith rolled her eyes. This vulnerability wasn't for her. Aisha sat silently near Cara's feet. She completely ignored the red head boy or at least she showed like she did. Nobody knew what was hidden behind those dark blue eyes.

It took Kahlan 20 minutes to find the kid in the woods. Renn sat on a stump of a tree drawing something with a twig in the dust. The woman approached him and sat down. She could clearly see tears on his cheeks which he tried to hide from her.

"_How are you?"_ She asked and put one hand over his shoulder. Renn pushed her hand away and went on drawing. He didn't want to speak. His lower lip swelled.

"_Renn, listen, I know you're angry though you shouldn't have said such things about Aisha." _Kahlan reprimanded.

"_Yeah, she tried to kill and you always protect her!"_ the boy erased everything he had drawn in the dust.

"_Why did you start the fight?"_ the woman asked him.

"_I told her about Cara. She didn't believe. So, I asked if she knew what adults do when they want children." _

Kahlan jaw dropped: _"And how did she react?"_

"_She started to shout at me that I was thinking her mother was a slut. Then she ran after me and wanted to rip my throat open. I hate her!" _The boy said hastily.

Kahlan's cheeks went pink. She remembered the night with Richard and Renn starring at them with the Sword of Truth in his hands. She obviously had to discuss it but the listener asked her first.

"_Kahlan, do you want children from Richard?" _

"_Yes, Renn, that what you've seen last night…"_

"_Don't worry I know people's thoughts but when I was younger I didn't understand why adults do some things."_

"_Then you should understand that girls don't like to talk about such things. At least when they're only ten." _Kahlan put her arm around the boy.

"_I wish I had a mother like you."_

Kahlan embraced him tighter and kissed his forehead: _"I wish I had a son like you."_

**At the camp:**

The Mother Confessor and Renn came back to the camp. Richard and Zedd were eating hot delicious soup and talking near the fire. Aisha was sleeping.

"_Oh, there you are. I thought we should go to look for you two."_ The wizard exclaimed giving them two plates with hot mushroom soup.

"_Where is Cara?" _Kahlan asked taking the plate and sitting down near the Seeker.

"_Went hunting._" Richard replied.

"_What? We have a lot of food!"_ Kahlan shook her head. _"Did Aisha eat?"_

"_No, she said she was tired and went to sleep." _Zedd told looking at the child covered up with a blanket over her head.

Kahlan went to the girl. Aisha pretended she was sleeping. The Mother Confessor tucked the blanket around girl's skinny form.

Cara came back early in the morning. Children were still sleeping. Kahlan was on watch.

"_Where's my dress?"_ the woman asked looking at the blonde standing in a pair of black pants, huge male boots and grey t-shirt, with a satchel behind her back.

"_Here it is."_ Cara took the dress out of the satchel. "_Went to hunt but found a bunch of robbers. You are unpopular Mother Confessor. They saw the white dress and they definitely wanted to kill me. But it was a great surprise to see the agiels. They fought not well enough for the Mord'Sith..."_

Women prepared breakfast. Everybody ate it with pleasure, because Kahlan cooked excellently, though Aisha refused to eat at all. Kahlan tried to persuade the child to eat something, but all her attempts failed.

"_Why don't you eat?"_ Cara demanded authoritatively.

"_I'm not hungry."_ She replied coolly.

"_She didn't eat yesterday either."_ Richard added.

"_Fine. If you don't eat you won't eat at all today."_ The Mord'Sith concluded. _"Come on, you're going with me." _She helped the girl to mount the horse and they continued their journey…


	18. Chapter 18

**The Bess**

**Part 18**

After a few hours of traveling Aisha's stomach started to make noise.

"_Want to eat?"_ Cara asked still driving the horse.

"_Not particularly."_ The girl replied and looked sullenly on the road ahead.

"_Singing frogs in your stomach don't agree with your decision."_ Cara said sarcastically.

"_Don't worry about'em. It doesn't matter."_ Aisha told her mother. The Mord'Sith smirked and continued their trip in silence but they didn't go far when she saw drops of water falling on her red leather. At first she thought it was the rain but then she saw the reason of a waterfall.

"_Why are you crying?"_ Cara asked her girl softly.

"_It's nothing."_ The girl sniffed.

"_It's about Renn's words yesterday, isn't it?"_ The Mord'Sith insisted.

"_No!"_ A slight sob escaped girl's lips.

Cara smiled. She was right but Aisha was taught well not to show her emotions, thought tears at the moment broke the theory but still… She wanted to check it. Her hand slid to her agiel holster. Aisha noticed the movement and shuddered.

"_Please, I won't cry any more. I promise."_ Girl tried to fight her tears.

Cara embraced the child with one hand still holding the bridle with the other. She pressed Aisha tightly to her own body and whispered in her ear: _"You shouldn't be afraid of tears. It's all right to cry."_

"_No. You always told me to be strong." _The girl was not sure why the Mord'Sith said so. Maybe it was a trick to mock at her vulnerability.

"_Because I wanted you to survive. You're just a little girl. It's all right to cry sometimes."_ Cara kissed her lightly in the cheek. Aisha was confused by such an emotional explosion from Cara.

"_Renn is right. I'm just an animal creature. I can't control myself when I turn into that…animal. You should have killed me." _It was a pleasure to speak her mind freely without thinking of the prepared agiel.

"_That's why you don't eat. Punish yourself because you're not like anybody else? This is stupid and childish. You do control yourself. You rescued us all from that water-creature, you saved my life. It's the Mother Confessor who cannot control her Con Dar but you, you always try to preserve our lives. You're my treasure."_

"_What do you mean?" _Aisha sniffed again.

"_You're the most intelligent, beautiful and fearless girl in the world. I'm proud to have such a daughter."_

"_But, Renn said, you hate me." _The girl said confused.

"_Only a crazy mother would hate her own child. I'm just…. a Mord'Sith. It is hard for me to show any emotions. I was trained that way."_ The woman confessed, though it was very hard for her to speak with her own child freely as if they have been together all these years.

"_When had you figured out I was your daughter?"_ the child couldn't stop asking the questions.

"_The day you'd killed my slave."_ The Mord'Sith replied.

"_That was why you were gentle with me later on."_ Aisha concluded.

"_Gentle? If I were gentle you'd be dead long ago. I'm sorry to be harsh sometimes, but there are moments you seem unpredictable. I have to protect others from you." _

"_Would you like me at least a little?" _the girl asked innocently.

"_Like? I love you, Aisha. Though I don't know why? You behave awfully, you refuse to eat, you don't listen to Kahlan's and Zedd's lessons when they try to teach Renn history or Maths and many other interesting things."_ Cara reprimanded.

"_If I'll be good will you love me more?" _

"_There's no 'if', little girl. You have to listen to me and to do as I say. Here!" _She took out a piece of bread with cheese and gave it to Aisha. _"Eat this, because frogs in your stomach are making me crazy! And don't underestimate me ever again!"_

"_Thanks!"_ she took bread and cheese from Cara's hands. _"Can I call you 'mommy'?"_

"_No! It makes me feel like a hundred year old, besides Mord'Siths have never been called in such a way." _Cara revolted.

"_Fine, Mistress Cara. You're my real mom and it makes no difference."_ Saying this Aisha took a big bite of bread. Cara grinned.

When they have made a stop to rest for awhile Kahlan approached Cara to talk.

"_So, how did you manage to talk her into eating?"_ The Mother Confessor asked the woman in red.

"_I followed your advice to treat her as a child and it worked. It's very easy to deceive a ten year old. Helping the Resistance I forgot the most precious rule of the Mord'Sith to use pain and pleasure one after the other. I only used pain, now I tried pleasure to control her.."_ Cara said simply.

"_What do you mean?" _Kahlan watched the Mord'Sith's unemotional face closely.

"_It was you who told me that children want a person who would take care of them. So, I tried to pretend I care. It worked brilliantly. I should never underestimate the impact of pleasure." _

"_Cara, you can never fool a child, believe me. Especially Aisha. She's too smart. Whatever you did it's good. She's smiling. I hope one day I'll see the same expression on your face." _The Mother Confessor turned to go but the Mord'Sith stopped her.

"_My congratulations, Mother Confessor! You've finally seduced Richard." _Cara mocked scoping Kahlan out.

Kahlan made a step closer and whispered in shock: _"How did you know?"_

"_Oh, you know, men have such an extraordinary expression on their faces when they have had sex with a woman, it's worth seeing." _Kahlan's eyes widened. She looked at Richard who was teaching the Listener how to fight with a stick. The Mord'Sith made a step to whisper in Kahlan's ear: _"There is no reason to whisper. Even children know what you have done the other night."_ The Mother Confessor changed her color. Cara just giggled. _"Don't worry, Mother Confessor. Nobody knows about you and the Seeker. I've heard your conversation with Renn when I was passing by that night. You should have seen your face."_ Cara smiled widely.

"_You're the most unbearable woman I've ever known, Cara Mason!"_ Kahlan scolded the woman in man's outfit.

Cara laughed: _"I thought you're the most modest woman, Mother Confessor. You proved me wrong."_

They laughed together.

Zedd was sitting on the grass watching Cara and Kahlan talking near the tree. He couldn't hear the conversation but he could finally see them laughing. He wanted to turn his head but was criticized by the girl standing behind his back.

"_Zedd, sit still, I haven't finished yet."_Aisha was busy doing something with his hair.

"_Have you ever seen a laughing Mord'Sith?"_ the wizard asked the child.

"_Yes, standing right there under the tree with the Mother Confessor."_ She replied plaiting another flower in Zedd's hair.

"_Oh, Zedd, very stylish! You look awesome like a wood goblin!"_ Richard giggled looking at wizard's hair-do full of flowers and leaves. He even stopped fighting with the boy. Renn stopped in the middle and grinned widely.

Aisha finished her masterpiece and let the old man go: _"Show it to the Mother Confessor."_

"_How do I look?" _Zedd appeared in front of two women

"_Wizard, did Shota spell your hair?"_ of course it was Cara's comment.

Aisha, who was standing beside the wizards, frowned and folded her arms.

"_It is artfully done. I'm impressed. Aisha, did you do this?"_ Kahlan asked the girl trying to wipe grin from her face.

"_Yes."_ The girl shined.

"_Can you braid my hair like that?"_ Kahlan smiled at the kid.

"_Of course I can."_ The child said eagerly.

"_Fine. You'll do it later. We have to move."_ Cara retorted looking devilishly at the Mother Confessor.

Richard and Renn have already prepared the horses when Aisha ran to Cara's horse with a bunch of flowers. Cara who was ready to help the child mount the horse was taken aback when Aisha shoved the flowers right at Cara's nose with the words:_ "Smell them! Don't they smell nice?"_ Cara started sneezing immediately.

"_Where did you get them?"_ The Mord'Sith asked between her sneezing.

"_On the clearing right there."_ She pointed to the clearing behind the trees. _"Can I take them?"_

"_No!" _the woman sneezed again.

The child's face sunk. Kahlan shook her head not to laugh aloud.

"_Come here!"_ She called a very sad girl. _"You'll go with me and you can take the flowers as well."_

"_But Mistress Cara said I can't take them."_ Aisha squeezed poor plants in her hand not knowing what to do with them.

"_Because flowers make her sneeze, but I'm all right with them."_ The Mother Confessor answered a very confused kid.

"_Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry."_ She turned to Cara who waved her hand and made two steps back from the child trying to fight the sneezing.

"_Get away from me!"_

Aisha shrugged her shoulders, went to Kahlan who helped her to mount the horse.

"_Here you are."_ Richard gave the Mord'Sith a handkerchief, because she began wiping her eyes with the sleeve.

"_Thanks."_ Cara regained her breath after a long range of sneezing.

"_Wow! How does Mistress Cara go through the woods in spring when everything is in blossom?"_ the girl asked the Mother Confessor.

"_There are special potions to prevent sneezing."_ Kahlan answered quickly looking desperately at a very sick Mord'Sith.

"_Cool!"_ Aisha exclaimed with twinkles in her eyes.

"_What's so cool about it?"_ The Mother Confessor turned to the excited child.

"_Any time I want Mistress Cara out of action I can just use a flower."_ The girl smiled wickedly. Kahlan frowned at these words.

"_So, you'll torture your own mother?"_ Kahlan crossed her arms.

"_If she can do it why can't I?"_ the girl retorted.

"_Do you still think that this monster is a little innocent girl?"_ Cara mocked. She stopped sneezing. Her eyes were red and with tears.

Kahlan shook her head. She was sick and tired of this humiliating relationship but she knew that it was Cara's education as a Mord'Sith. The woman couldn't behave the other way. She thought if she revealed her softer side the earth would crack under her feet. It was weird but it was Cara. Kahlan didn't want to interfere.

"_What do you choose, Aisha, to mock at your mother or to heal her?"_ The Mother Confessor proposed in very serious tone.

Aisha didn't answer. She slid down from the horse, went to Cara and hugged her. Within seconds woman's face was a natural color again. Few black tears touched the ground and disappeared in green grass.

"_I'm not as monstrous as you think."_ The girl went back to Kahlan who touched her head gently. Cara stood confused for a moment then mounted her mare and they went further.

**To be continued…**


	19. Chapter 19

**The Bess**

**Part 19**

Raindrops ran down the folds of cloaks. Everything was wet, horses, people and trees in front of them. It has been raining for more than two weeks. The clothes were wet and stuck to the body. They rode in silence. No one wanted to talk, 'cause the rain seemed to soak even into their brains. It was like water was in heads. It dropped from everywhere. They couldn't make a fire, so they ate only bread and cheese. Yellow and red leaves covered the dirty ground. Horses slid and stuck in the mud. Cold wind tried to tore their soaked cloaks. The wizard started complaining about the weather and when his grumble became too annoying Aisha embraced him to cure his tired body. In the evenings the wizard used his magic and made a tent for them to dry and to sleep in at least comfortable atmosphere.

At the end of the second week they finally reached the Resistance camp. The rain stopped. Verna and Sisters of the Light greeted the travelers. A girl with a long wavy hair ran to the Mother Confessor and hugged her.

"_Rachel! I'm so glad to see you!" _Kahlan returned the embrace smiling heartily at the girl.

"_You've found Mistress Cara!"_ Rachel looked at the mighty Mord'Sith in strange man's clothes. _"…and Renn."_ She jumped to the boy and hugged him as well. Renn smiled and put his arms around her.

"_Rachel, you'll smother me!"_ He said when the girl tightened her grip.

Aisha looked in astonishment at the crowd that came to greet them. She watched people hugging and greeting Kahlan, Richard, Renn and Zedd but nobody was brave enough to hug the Mord'Sith. Only a middle aged, tall woman with strange twinkling stars on her forehead came closer and embraced Cara, who didn't know what to do. She frowned at Verna.

"_Hey! There is no need to hug me as if am a three year old!"_ Cara fought to get rid of Verna's hands over her.

"_I'm so glad that you're fine! I__ saw what they've done to Berdine. I wanted to help her but I couldn't. Maybe you would be able to do anything."_ Verna told the amused Mord'Sith.

"_You mean, you didn't kill her?"_

"_How could I do such a thing to the person who has helped us all these years?"_ the woman in pale pink gown looked at Cara in disbelief. _"She's here in prison, but still…"_

A dark haired boy came to Renn and patted him on the shoulder: _"Glad to see you! You'll tell me about your adventures later." _He turned to Aisha, who was still standing near the mare with a back-pack in her hands. The 12-year old boy approached her. _"Hi, I'm Eric."_ He shook her hand firmly. _"Come on, boy! Why do you stand here shy as a girl in spring?"_ He put his arm around her shoulder. _"You arrived with the Seeker. It means you're our friend. Don't be so shy, old chap." _He squeezed her.

Renn started laughing hysterically.

"_What's so funny, Red Head?"_ the dark-haired boy retorted.

"_Actually, she is a girl."_ Renn continued giggling like a toddler.

"_What?" _Eric moved away his hand fast as if it was burning. _"I'm sorry, Miss…"_ He immediately took the back-pack from Aisha's hands. _"I'm…" _

"_It's all right. My name's Aisha. It is easy to confuse me with a boy in these clothes and with hair this short."_ She smiled at the very confused teenager.

Martha, Rachel's foster parent, took Aisha by the hand to show her the room but the girl turned to look at Cara.

"_Aisha, go with Martha. Eric, please, take our things to my room!"_ The Mord'Sith told the boy.

"_I'll do it immediately, Mistress Cara."_ The boy replied and went to the horse to get other bags.

Aisha was surprised when a small palm took hers. Rachel was smiling at her.

"_So, are you a princess?"_ Rachel asked innocently.

"_No, I'm just a girl. Mistress Cara rescued me from the Mord'Sith's temple."_ The blonde replied simply.

"_Oh!__.. Did they train you?"_ Rachel asked with eyes wide open.

"_No! Of course not! I told you. Mistress Cara helped me to run away, though it caused her a lot of trouble." _

"_Yes, she's brave. The Mother Confessor was worried when Mistress Cara and Mistress Berdine hadn't come. They went after them. Few weeks ago Berdine came__ back but she was strange, so Verna had to put her in prison. She became really cruel. She doesn't like us any more." _Rachel said with a feeling of regret in her voice.

"_Rachel, please, show Aisha Mistress Cara's room and bring her one of your dresses. She needs something dry and clean to change into."_ Martha told her daughter.

Aisha spent almost 30 minutes in the room washing behind the screen. She was drying her hair with a towel when Cara came in and plopped a simple violet gown on the bed.

"_Did you spend all the hot water?"_ The Mord'Sith asked sitting on a chair and taking off her shirt.

"_No, there's one more bucket." _The girl replied appearing from behind the screen dressed in a green robe with a print all over it.

Cara glanced at her and said: _"Nice gown."_

"_It's big." _Aisha showed how large the gown was.

"_It's because Rachel is nearly 12 and you're smaller. Come here." _Caratook Aisha's black leather belt and tightly belted girl's waist. She looked at her daughter satisfied with the work._ "Comb your hair and wait for me."_

Aisha helped Cara to lace up the corset on the beautiful violet gown with dark red flowers. Cara let her blonde hair loose on her shoulders. She was the Mord'Sith and this gown made her feel uncomfortable. They went downstairs to find Richard and Kahlan already sitting at the table. The Mother Confessor sat in a light blue gown and Richard in dark grey suit. Zedd was in dark blue velvet frock with silver monograms on the sleeves and chest. The monograms went down to his ankles. Cara sat between Richard and the former commander of the Adendril's army Reinold Styx. He was a man of 35-37 year old, very handsome with dark brown hair, shiny grey eyes and manly appearance. Aisha sat at the children's part of the table between Rachel and Eric. Renn boasted about the adventures. The musicians played the violin and after an hour Richard invited Kahlan to dance.

"_Would you be so kind to dance with me, Mistress Cara?" _Reinold asked the woman.

"_You're kidding, right?"_ Cara snapped back.

"_No, it would be a pleasure to dance with you." _The man said sincerely.

"_Mr. Styx, I'm a Mord'Sith, who's wearing this stupid, uncomfortable dress, because I've ruined m__ine red leather in the mermaid swamp. I'm taking care of the girl instead of using my agiel to train her. I've lost Berdine, because that moron retrained her and now you want me to dance with you?"_ Cara hissed at the man.

"_I didn't want to make you angry. I just thought…"_ He looked at the Mord'Sith, who appeared to be playing with the agiel. _"What about to go for a walk?" _Rei suggested.

"_Fine, let's go."_ Cara stood up and followed the man outside.

The rain stopped and stars looked at them from the sky. It was cool outside and yellow leaves rustled under their feet.

"_Verna told me that the D'Haran army is standing behind the mount and it is a matter of time when they__'ll come here."_ Cara stated.

"_Yes, but we are prepared to go to the woods. The Seeker's plan will be fulfilled in a week. The caves and tunnels are done. We have the provision till spring.__ Everyone is ready to leave the village."_ The commander reported.

"_Not bad. It's about time. I won't be able to help you from the inside and neither is Berdine."_ She sighed looking at the sun setting down.

"_You've done the most important thing. You've found the child from the prophecy." _He said standing closer to the woman.

"_Commander, do you really believe that __the child can kill the demon?"_ Cara smirked.

"_No, b__ut I'm sure that people will believe in a symbol. Like they believed in the Seeker and the Mother Confessor. You give them hope."_ He looked in Cara's eyes.

It was midnight when Cara went into the Rachel's room. Two girls were playing with dolls.

"_Aisha,__ it's late. Let's go to bed."_ The woman said to the tired child.

"_Mistress Cara, she may stay in my room. She'll sleep in my bed and I'll sleep on the floor. Please, __can she stay?"_ Rachel asked.

"_No, she'll sleep in her bed and you'll be sleeping in yours."_ The woman replied.

In her room Cara changed into a short linen gown and Aisha was in a long white sleeping gown. The Mord'Sith covered the girl with a patchwork blanket and slid under it too. They laid in silence for a few minutes.

"_Who is t__he man who was sitting next to you?"_ The child's voice asked.

Cara's eyes flew open: _"He's a former commander of the Adendril's army. Why?"_

"_Do you like him?" _Aisha continued her interrogation.

"_What?" _Cara gasped at the question.

"_He__ looks at you strangely." _

"_How?" _Cara squeezed her eyes but Aisha didn't see it in the dark.

"_He looks at you like Richard looks at the Mother Confessor."_ The girl concluded.

"_Are you spying on me?"_ the woman asked surprised by this conversation.

"_No. I saw you from Rachel's room. You were chatting under the tree."_

"_What do you want to say?" _Cara insisted.

"_Nothing. Just curious."_ Aisha pursed her lips.

"_Curiosity killed the cat. Close your eyes and sleep."_The Mord'Sith snapped and turned her back to Aisha.

"_Good night, mommy."_ The child whispered. The woman didn't answer, though girl's words made her think for a while.

**Somewhere in the wood:**

Nicci and a Mord'Sith killed poor Walter and brought back Darken Rahl.

"_Why did you revive me?"_ Lord Rahl asked the Sister of the Dark.

"_You'll help me find Cara and defeat Lord Dracul. D'Hara needs to be ruled by the true master."_ The woman in red answered.

"_You know, the child would die."_ Darken replied unemotionally.

"_The __bastard kid doesn't matter."_ Nicci said evilly.

The next thing Cara saw was the dead body of Aisha in her arms and a puddle of blood spreading on the floor. She heard Rahl's satanic laugh and suddenly she woke up and realized that she was clutching some living creature in her arms. The woman opened her eyes. Aisha was struggling to free herself from Cara's deathly embrace. Cara unclasped her hands.

"_Finally!"_ Aisha coughed trying to breathe in deeply. _"What's wrong with you? You were squeezing me like a rug doll."_

"_How are you?" _Cara wanted to touch the girl but she evaded her hand. _"Did I hurt you?"_

"_I'__m fine."_ The child whispered.

It was three o'clock in the morning. It wasn't the first time when Cara saw nightmares but this time it really scared her to death. Aisha's dead body in her arms was so vivid. She was surprised to wake up and find her child alive struggling to breathe. The woman took a deep breath to calm down.

"_Aisha, lay down. We have at least two or three hours to sleep." _

"_No. I'll sleep on the floor." _The girl disagreed.

"_I won't touch you, I promise." _Cara assured her.

The child returned to bed. She buried her blonde head in the pillow and fell asleep. Cara woke up in the morning and smiled. She couldn't move her arm because Aisha curled up beside her and took her left arm in prison. Maybe it was right to feel her child so close. She remembered the day she gave birth. She remembered hatred in her heart. She remembered how scared she was when she understood she was pregnant. All her life Cara hated her flesh and blood. Now she was afraid to loose this beautiful creature.

**To be continued…**

_**Happy New Year!**_____


	20. Chapter 20

**The Bess**

**Part 20**

Cara tried to get her numb arm from under her child but the small fingers tightened on her wrist. Cara tried to move it again. The grip tightened almost preventing her blood flow.

"_Aisha, I can't feel my arm. I need it back." _Cara whispered trying to shake the child's body from her numb limb.

"_No." _The girl murmured. Cara's brows flew up at such disrespect.

"_You won't give my hand back." _

"_No."_ she heard the reply.

"_This means war!"_ Cara strangled carefully the child with her numb arm and started to tickle her. Aisha laughed hysterically.

"_Stop it! Please, stop it! I won't do it again!"_ The girl cried between her laughs.

Kahlan stormed into the room at this very moment. This unexpected intrusion made Cara let the giggling child go. Aisha immediately jumped from the bed and hid beside Kahlan's back.

"_Help me! She wants to tickle me to death."_ The girl cried trying to catch her breath.

"_I don't feel my arm because this little bug used it as a pillow."_ The Mord'Sith threw the pillow at Aisha whose smiling face appeared from the left side of the Mother Confessor but it hit Kahlan in the stomach instead.

"_You're dead!"_ Kahlan took the pillow and attacked the blonde woman. _"Aisha, help me with the enemy!"_ Kahlan cried to the girl smacking the Mord'Sith with the pillow. Cara blocked the blow with her right arm grabbing another pillow from the bed. She used her arm to prevent the attack and tried to hit Kahlan with the pillow but she jumped back. Aisha was already on the bed behind Cara. She jumped like a cat at her neck causing the woman to plop on the bed.

"_Hey! It's not fair!"_ Cara tried to shake the sticky child off of her and at the same time to stop the rain of blows coming from the Mother Confessor. She almost succeeded to get rid of Aisha but suddenly the room became dark and she couldn't move under the weight of some living creature. Kahlan wrapped the blonde in the blanket and together with Aisha they made the poor Mord'Sith motionless pressing her to the mattress. Cara struggled to release herself but all her efforts went in vain. Aisha sat on her shins and the Mother Confessor clasped her hands to the bed. Kahlan uncovered Cara's head.

"_Do you give up?"_ the woman asked cunningly.

"_In your dreams!" _Cara hissed struggling to free herself.

"_So, what do we do with the captives?"_ Kahlan smiled evilly at the girl.

"_We make them wear __dresses and be nice all day long." _Aisha exclaimed.

"_No way!"_ Cara snapped back.

"_The mighty Mord'Sith is trapped and tortured by a woman and a child.__ Interesting!"_ Richard said staring at the picture in front of him in amusement.

Kahlan immediately released the blonde woman. Aisha followed her example.

"_You left the door half open."_ He apologized. _"The breakfast will be ready soon. Would you mind dressing up and honor us with your presence?"_

"_Sure." _Kahlan said standing up from the bed.

Richard turned to leave: _"Yeah, Cara, don't cheat. I've heard everything."_

The Mord'Sith frowned.

"_You mean Cara was playing to Aisha? Like no agiels, daggers or threatening just playing with the child?"_ Zedd repeated his questions to make sure that he heard Richard clearly. The wizard was already sitting at the table in the living room waiting for the breakfast.

"_Yep!"_ the Seeeker plopped on the chair next to his grandpa.

Within five minutes Cara entered the chamber. She was wearing the same dress though an agiel hanged from her left wrist on a chain. Yesterday she carried it under garments.

"_Where is Aisha?"_ Zedd asked suspiciously.

"_She is making the bed, taking out the used water and combing her hair, if she manages to do so."_ The Mord'Sith replied.

"_I thought you should be nice today."_ Richard implied.

"_I'm extremely nice wearing this stupid dress."_ Cara retorted. Zedd smiled at that comment.

People started to come and take their places at the table. Rachel stormed into the room asking for Aisha but she hasn't come yet. Kahlan went to see where the girl was. The Mother Confessor entered the room and found Aisha tearing her very wet hair with a comb. Some pieces of the comb were on the floor. Girl's dress was wet because the water from her hair dropped on it.

"_What are you doing?"_ the woman asked looking at the girl in disbelief.

"_It bristles! I can't comb it!"_ the animal roar responded.

"_Aisha, Aisha, look at me, please."_ Kahlan kneeled beside her to be the girl's height. She brushed away curled locks which stuck to girl's forehead. _"Give me the comb." _The child obeyed though her eyes were darker than the sky at night. The woman brushed these shiny wet curls and the comb went smoothly. She used the towel to dry the hair a little and then brushed it again. _"Wait here."_ The woman returned with a shirt and a simple sundress. The girl changed her wet gown. Kahlan talked to the child until the claws on her hands disappeared and her eyes became blue again. She came into the living room holding the girl by the hand. Aisha sat next to Rachel who greeted her.

"_What happened to the previous dress?"_ Cara asked watching the child on the opposite side of the table.

"_It turned wet, because you refused to help her brush her hair__!"_ Kahlan snapped back.

"_What? Since when she is such a milksop? I'm a Mord'Sith not a baby-sitter."_ The blonde woman hissed.

"_Cara, we have to watch her, because combing that hair could have been a massacre!"_ Kahlan whispered piercing the Mord'Sith with her eyes.

"_Did she..." _Cara didn't finish the sentence interrupted by the brunette.

"_Yes!"_

"_I'll keep an eye on her."_ The blonde woman stared at two chirping girls.

"_Where do you think you're going?"_ Cara stopped Aisha who was ready to leave with Rachel after the breakfast.

"_We are going to play, Mistress Cara."_ Rachel replied enthusiastically.

"_Who says?"_ The Mord'Sith retorted.

"_I permitted them to play together."_ Martha interrupted.

"_I don't. Is it a problem?" _Cara hissed.

"_But Cara…"_ Martha wanted to object.

"_Mistress Cara, please.__"_ Rachel begged.

"_Aisha comes with me. I've heard there are sick people at the hospital. They have to be evacuated too. We don't have much time before the D'Haran squad attacks us. She can help there and I'm sure you may give Rachel a work to do."_ The blonde woman said coldly and put her hand on Aisha's shoulder.

"_Of course… Come Rachel."_ Martha took her girl by the hand. Rachel gave Cara a sullen look and followed her mother.

"_When I heal everybody at the hospital may I play with Rachel?"_ The curly child asked the stubborn woman. She squeezed her shoulder so hard that it started to ache.

"_No, after that you have to learn something. You'll be reading books. I don't want you to be ignorant because you're travelling a lot."_ Cara loosened her grip.

"_I'm not ignorant!" _She objected.

"_Fine. What is the area of Midlands? Who divided the New World from the Old one? Who are gars? How can you defeat them? What is the brightest star in the sky? How can you survive in the woods without a knife? Where…"_

"_Fine. I got it. I won't play at all." _Girl's shoulders sunk and she slowly followed the woman kicking small stones on the way to the hospital.

Verna was watching every move Aisha did, though she didn't do anything special. She took a patient by the hand and a rain of black tears fell on the floor turning into ash.

"_I've never seen anything like this and I've lived a long life." _The Sister of Light told Cara. _"This is unbelievable! I don't even feel her Han. It's like she doesn't have one."_

"_She's __a bess maybe it is her type of magic." _The Mord'Sith said.

"_We don't know much of her kind. We only know that they are male silly creatures who imitate evil deeds really fast. She's an enigma. Those are the most desperate patients. We take care of them but they'll die soon. It's incredible that a little girl can make them stand. She heals their wounds and diseases using her touch. Even Zedd couldn't have helped them."_ Verna turned to Cara.

"_Don't be so excited about her behavior. Now she's healing a woman, the next second she'll be killing a child. Nobody controls her."_

"_But you?" _The woman in pink gown stared at the girl whose pale tired face with two paths of black tears on the cheeks made her look as a miserable little creature.

"_She permits me to dominate, but if she wants she can escape any time. I don't control her. It's like she controls me."_

"_You have to use all your love to make her want to stay with you." _Verna gave a piece of advice.

"_You ask the Mord'Sith to give a girl all her love? You're insane.__"_ Cara chuckled.

Suddenly Aisha collapsed on the floor. Verna and Cara hurried to the girl.

"_Aisha, what's wrong?"_ the Sister of the Light asked worriedly.

"_She lost a lot of power to heal them. I think the Sister of the Light should have known this." _The Mord'Sith commented on Verna's ignorance. _"C'mon, let's go to sleep." _

Aisha woke up in bed in Cara's room. She was still wearing her shirt and the sundress. Only her boots were in the floor beside the bed. She found a plate with cold vegetable ragout, a piece of bread and a glass of apple juice on the table. While she was eating her cold meal she read a note left of course by the Mord'Sith. It said that she had to read the books and draw a map according to the description in those books. She looked disappointed at a huge pile of books, an inkpot, paper and a goose quill left for her lesson. Aisha heard other children playing outside and laughing. She didn't even go downstairs to carry the empty plate and glass to the kitchen. She sat at the table took the thickest book and started to read.

"_How are you doing?"_ The blonde woman asked standing behind girl's back and peering at the paper where mountains, two rivers with a forest and a settlement were painted. _"Not bad. But what are these?" _She asked the girl pointing at three dirty spots on the paper.

"_These are blots."_ Aisha replied simply rubbing tired eyes with her fists. The sun was setting down and the lazy rays dimly lit the room.

Cara shook her head: _"If you were at the Mord'Sith's school you'd be punished mercilessly."_

"_It is unreasonable to punish the girls for blots when they are already punished by carrying that stupid weapon." _Aisha grumbled.

"_Agiel isn't stupid. It's a powerful weapon, the best weapon from all that have been ever invented! It teaches endurance and strength."_ Cara lectured her daughter.

"_Whatever. A weapon that causes pain to its bearer is insane. And the man who invented it is insane too."_ The girl put her head on the table and continued painting the map leaning on the table and looking askance at the picture very bored.

"_Aisha, sit upright! Dinner will be in an hour or so. When I come back that map should be done__ or I'll punish you!"_ Cara took the plate and the glass and left the room with a loud bang.

In the evening Kahlan watched Aisha with Rachel and other girls playing jump-rope: _"Aren't they beautiful?"_

"_Just a bunch of irresponsible, noisy bugs!" _Cara snapped back.

"_You're not in the mood today. I see. That's why you killed Berdine!"_ Kahlan hissed.

"_Verna had to do that a long time ago but she has no guts!"_ Cara retorted.

"_So, now you decide who lives or dies?"_ Kahlan yelled at the Mord'Sith.

"_Nobody could have helped her! She was broken__ the second time then that bastard used her. It's not an honor for the Mord'Sith to die in a beast-birth!"_ Tears glistened in her eyes.

"_Cara, I'm so sorry!"_ Kahlan wanted to hug her but the Mord'Sith evaded that impulse.

"_Don't be. She did a lot of good for this world. I gave her chance to die in honor. I'll remember her as my best friend forever."_ Cara said softly.

"_We all will remember her, Cara."_ Now Kahlan hugged the mighty Mord'Sith. Cara was proud that they stood in the shadow of a tree and nobody could see her tears and the Mother Confessor hushing her.

**To be continued…**


	21. Chapter 21

**The Bess**

**Part 21**

"_This is out of question! I can't go!"_ the Mord'Sith snapped. Reinold Styx, Kahlan, Cara and a few more commanders of the Resistance stood in the room.

"_Cara, it's the only opportunity for us to find out what they are going to do."_ Kahlan insisted.

"_Why me? You may go or Richard, besides Renn likes you not me."_ Cara still disagreed with the mission.

"_You know that I have other responsibilities. I'm in charge of evacuation. Richard is helping people from the nearby villages. Verna is sent to the camp and is waiting for us to come. You and Reinold with the help of the __Listener can find out about their future plans. Cara, I trust you."_ Kahlan continued to convince the blonde woman.

"_Yeah, and what about Aisha? You know the prophecy, I cannot leave her with anybody if I don't want this person dead!"_ the Mord'Sith argued back.

"_I can handle her. It's you who is afraid that you won't be able to deal with Renn and Commander Styx."_ The Confessor whispered to Cara giving her a knowing look. Cara just shook her head.

"_Fine, I'll go. Pray to the Creator for me to come back and find you and everybody else in one piece."_ The Mord'Sith turned her back to Kahlan and stormed out off the room.

The next morning Cara and Aisha stood up very early. The Mord'Sith prepared her back-pack and Aisha was sitting on the bed fully dressed watching her.

"_Why aren't you sleeping__? It's still too early."_ the woman asked the child and put a knife in a pocket of her back-pack.

"_Why can't I go with you?" _Aisha asked looking pleadingly at her mother.

"_It's dangerous, I told you."_

"_Why then Renn is going with you? He's pathetic!"_ the girl retorted.

"_It is not him who goes with us. It's me and Commander Styx who go with him. Renn can read minds. We have to find out the future plans of __the D'Haran army which is right behind this mount. If we succeed we would be better prepared."_ The Mord'Sith explained.

Aisha frowned, put her knees tight to her chest and embraced them with her arms. Cara sat next to the girl.

"_Aisha, listen to me carefully. Now you'll obey Kahlan. You'll do everything she says. You help her and every little creature in this camp. If you disobey, believe me, your most horrible nightmare won't prepare you for me. Did you get it?"_ the woman asked looking her daughter in the eyes. The child nodded. _"Fine. Go to the kitchen and take a sack with my meal. Then find Renn and Commander. I'll prepare the horses." _Aisha quickly disappeared. Cara took her daughter's rag doll and caressed her absent-mindedly then she left for the stable.

The farewell was short and nobody shed a tear. Only Kahlan hugged Renn and blessed him. Cara was her usual ice queen. She jumped on the back of the horse, glanced at Kahlan and Aisha standing on the ground and within a second she put her horse into a gallop. Aisha watched as trio disappeared in the dust rising up from the hoofs of their gorgeous animals.

"_Let's go, Aisha,"_ Kahlan put her hand on the girl's shoulder but Aisha shook it off.

A week passed. Cara, Commander Styx and Renn climbed up the mountain. They left their horses at a tavern two days ago. Now it was the way up. The weather was nice, dry and sunny. It was the last sunny days in autumn. The travelers were sure that when their mission would be over cold wind and even snow would cover the tracks. November was a cruel month in the north.

The week passed so quick that no one of the gang had noticed. Cara and Reinold got along really well. He joked, she flirted with him but nobody crossed the border. Commander told Renn stories about glorious victories and horrible battles. The Mord'Sith taught the boy fighting and hunting. Renn was happy, because these two cared for him, though he noticed some sort of tension between them. He understood it after he saw them together sitting near the fire in the night just starring at the flashes of dancing light in silence. He was a Listener and he knew very well why their game couldn't bloom into something more than just a friendship. He understood the feelings of both and the boy was really sorry for the Commander. Cara's heart was cold to any man she was with. They caused her too much pain. Sometimes when the boy saw her thoughts he wanted them to be a lie, though each her memory of the past was true. The more he knew the more he wanted to protect her, to protect her from the Commander even that the latter loved her with all his soul and maybe died for her if she asked.

Cara was her usual Mord'Sith's way. She was always watchful, full alert, kept her eye on the boy, was hand and glove with Commander but kept him at a distance. Travelling on a reconnaissance mission was a common task for the trained Mord'Sith but now she felt it was different. It was like she was missing something, something important. Before she was on a mission with her Sisters of the Agiel but now that was impossible. Some of her sisters were dead. She was the traitor and an outlaw. Previously she was responsible to the evil and now to the light. Nevertheless, it wasn't the feeling that bothered her. She didn't regret killing her sisters, she didn't regret working for Darken Rahl or Lord Dracul. The woman understood just now what she'd missed in her life the most. Cara missed the warmth of her dad's arms around her and her mother's soothing voice when she sang her lullabies. She regretted that Aisha would never remember her being gentle. Her own child would remember her mother torturing her, beating her with an agiel and humiliating her as a slave. Who then was a monster she, a gorgeous Mord'Sith, or her daughter, a malicious bess? It was hard to decide what she should be but this strange feeling in her heart told Cara that things would never be the same again.

"_You are not like that,"_ a young voice came from behind.

"_Why aren't you sleeping?"_ the Mord'Sith turned to the boy.

"_Do all the Mord'Siths have to go through such a training?"_ He asked but he already knew the answer.

"_Yes, all of us are trained the same way. This makes us strong and fearless."_ She said proudly, though the boy knew that were only words those thoughts inside her head doubted the cliché they used to teach her.

"_That's why you are afraid to be together with Commander Styx?"_ Renn retorted.

"_What do you mean?"_ The Mord'Sith looked him in the eyes curiously.

"_Commander… he kind of… he likes you… His thoughts… During the day he thinks about you a lot. He just wants to find the right moment and to tell you how he feels about you, though you're always make fun of him or __change the subject. Is it because of Lord Dracul or Darken Rahl?"_ the boy spoke freely.

Cara looked at him intrigued by the conversation: _"Do you want to say that Styx fall in love with me? It's insane. Nobody loves the Mord'Siths. It's nonsense!"_

"_Everybody in the camp liked you and Berdine. You are not like the rest of you kind. You helped to kill Lord Rahl."_

"_To bring much worse evil to this world," _Cara interrupted him.

"_It's not your fault." _He said trying to soothe the woman_. "And I'm not just a small boy as you think! People always think of such hideous things! When I was younger I couldn't understand but after I've met Richard and Kahlan I began to see better things. You're the same. You took care of Aisha in the Mord'Stihs' temple even when you discovered what creature she was. You didn't kill her though you might."_

"_Renn, you're just an 11 year-old boy. You are the Listener but life is complicated and you lack experience to understand the depths of human thoughts." _Cara stroked his head gently._ "Let's go. You have to sleep because we have a long road to cover tomorrow." _She covered Renn with a blanket as he lied down at his bed-roll.

Aisha was astonished when she saw at the first time their shelter. They went through a think forest during a day and then they came to a foot of the mountains. Mountains were high and rocky and gorgeous. It took her breath away when she entered a huge steel door disguised by ivy, green and brown paint and dirt. The door led to an immense square with sculptures and a small lake. It was 35 meters to the ceiling. Each statue had a torch in its hand that illuminated the area. Three long corridors were running deeper into the mountain. These were three main streets with cells in each side of the street but these cells were big from 4 to 10 room-houses. Each street had two forks which made six other roads now with multistoried houses with stores. Streets were wide for two carts to go freely through them. They were lighted by oil lamps but also there were huge holes in the ceiling made like rifts that hid the houses from above but let in day light and air. Six streets dispersed in many directions making a labyrinth but each way led to one of the main street, so it was hard to get lost in here, though you could spend two days roaming about the labyrinth trying to find the way out.

"_Wow! It's unbelievable! How did they do this town in hard rock in such a small period of time?"_ Aisha couldn't help but gasp.

"_Sisters of Light and wizards worked night and day to make this beautiful home."_ Kahlan told the girl.

"_This is huge!"_ the child exclaimed. _"Where is our home?"_

"_There, it's the second house at the end of the third street."_ Kahlan said and Aisha ran down the street. _"Hey! Wait!"_ The Mother Confessor couldn't help but smile at girl's curiosity.

It was a five-room house with a great living room, a bathroom, not so large kitchen and four bedrooms. Three rooms contained three large wooden beds but one had a bunk bed in it. Aisha immediately occupied this very room for her and Cara. The wizard took a small bedroom on the left and Kahlan joined Aisha who wasn't satisfied at all.

"_Why can't I sleep on the upper bed?"_ she pouted.

"_Because you can fall down!"_ Kahlan reprimanded.

"_No, I can't! It has a high board!"_ Aisha retorted.

"_You will sleep on the first bed, full stop!"_ The Mother Confessor insisted.

"_It's my room! I can sleep where I want to!"_ the girl disagreed.

"_It's also mine!"_

"_Who says?"_

"_I say!"_

"_There are two more rooms here. Why can't you choose one of them?" _Aisha couldn't understand why Kahlan was so stubborn.

"_I told Cara to keep an eye on you__. So I will be with you no matter if you want it or not!"_ Kahlan said with notes of irritation in her voice.

"_I'm not a three year-old. I can take care of myself!"_

"_I don't give a damn how old are you I gave my word and I would keep it!" _The Mother Confessor crossed her arms in front of her.

"_If Cara was here she would have __allowed me to sleep on the second bed."_ Aisha frowned, took her rug doll, jumped from the upper bed on the floor and left the room. Kahlan stood in the middle of the room speechless.

A week went too quickly. Villagers have settled down. Aisha spent time either with Kahlan or Zedd. If they were busy and she had some time to herself she prefered to roam about the streets or to hide somewhere with a book. She didn't take part in cheerful children companies or in funny games they played in the streets. Rachel tried to take the blonde girl out, to play with her but Aisha could invent hundreds of reasons not to go to. So, the older girl just let the other be.

"_Aisha, why don't you go and play with others?"_ The Mother Confessor asked the kid who sat in an armchair in the corner of her room reading a book. _"The weather is great. And you can play with kids in the woods. Do you know what do they do? They make huge heaps of leaves and jump into them. Isn't it funny?" _She sat on the arm of the chair.

"_It's stupid. __I don't wanna be stupid like them."_ Aisha said seriously.

"_You are not! You are the smartest girl I've ever seen!"_ Kahlan stroke her blonde curls gently.

"_Cara said I am__ stupid, but I'll prove her wrong."_ The child scowled.

The Mother Confessor smiled: _"That what this is all about! I thought you were afraid of them."_

"_I'm afraid of no one!" _

"_I see. If you are so eager to be intelligent then you'll go to school from now on."_

"_Really!"_ Aisha was surprised.

"_Yes, why not? __You want to learn, don't you?"_ Kahlan asked the girl seriously.

"Yes, very much."

"_Then you should go to school."_

"_But… What if I… You know turn into that creature?"_

"_You can control it, besides your teacher will be a Sister of Light. I'll ask her to keep an eye on you."_ The Mother Confessor said simply.

"_I'm resistant to magic."_ The child reminded.

"_Then you should control yourself better."_

At these words Aisha hugged the woman: _"Thank you, Mother Confessor!"_

_**To be continued…**_

_**P.S. Sorry for not updating for a long time, I was busy with my study routine. But now you are welcome to comment**___


	22. Chapter 22

**The Bess**

**Part ****22**

Cara went down a long dungeon corridor. It was lit with torches but the light was dim. She heard cries and moans around as if walls talked to her. She saw women of her kind dead on the floor together with people from the Resistance. The Mord'Sith hurried listening to a voice that pleaded her to come. _"Help me, please, help me…"_ it whispered in her ears. _"Where are you?"_ Cara cried fear slipping inside her body. She turned the corner though she knew it was too late. A blonde girl lied on the floor in a pool of blood near the demon and Darken Rahl's face smiled at her arrival. _"Now you're mine, Cara."_ He laughed. The sound of his laughter filled the air.

"_No… no… nooooo!" _

Commander rolled to the side as the Mord'Sith tried to jab him with an agiel.

"_Hey, easy!" _Reinold told the woman grabbing her wrist to prevent her from hurting herself.

Cara sat on her bed roll panting with an agiel in her hand.

"_What are you doing?"_ She shouted at him and jerked her hand to get rid of his grip. Renn woke up and was staring at them at the moment.

"_You were crying in your dream. I just woke you up."_ The man said sitting on yellowed grass right next to the woman.

"_I'm fine. I don't need your help."_ Cara said sternly looking at him.

"_It's not the first time you're moaning in your sleep. Are you all right?"_ Reinold asked her sincerely worried.

"_I told you I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about." _She stood up to go away for a moment to collect her thoughts.

"_It's the same dream she sees every night about Darken Rahl killing Aisha."_ Renn interrupted.

"_Shut up, mind-reader! I'm sick and tired of both of you! Darken Rahl is dead and I'll kill demon next time I'll see him again! This dream is nothing!"_ She wanted to go but Commander caught her elbow and stopped her.

"_Why are you scared of it then?"_ Renn shouted.

"_I'm scared of nothing!"_ She hissed and put her hand on one of the agiels.

"_Enough! Cara, listen to me. We have to write Zedd about it. Maybe he knows something about such dreams. Tomorrow we'll see Dracul's army. We'll kill the guards and find one of the commanders for Renn to figure out their plans and we'll return to the camp."_ He let her go.

"_It has been already two weeks and we haven't met any D'Haran patrol yet. Do you think they vanished?"_ She snapped at him.

"_The Mother Confessor wrote that Richard returned with the villagers and they also didn't notice any D'Haran squads near it, though my men killed one squad in the mountains and they said they've seen an army at the foot of it."_ Commander informed her.

"_So ,what? Your men __were mistaken! We're now nearly at the foot but I don't see any living creature here, even villagers not mentioning the huge D'Haran army!"_ She shouted at him.

"_What do you want to say, that everyone except the mighty Mord'Siths is__ a fool? We've covered hundreds of miles for nothing? I believe my men! Ten of them died on the mission and I don't want to see our camp destroyed because some silly woman wants so badly to go back to that bastard of hers that she's nearly lost her mind!"_ He shouted back.

"_What did you say?"_ Cara hissed taking out the agiels.

"_You've heard me!"_ Reinold was pissed off at last. He couldn't control his feelings tearing him apart.

Cara jumped at him and jabbed him with two agiels at the same time. He was aware of what she was going to do but he stood there unarmed though he could take out his sword. Commander fell to his knees.

"_Take you weapon and defend like a man!"_ The Mord'Sith snapped making one step aside from her victim.

"_Want to kill me? Go ahead!__ I've seen what D'Haran's did to my town. I won't turn back until I find what's on their mind. You may go if you wish!"_ He yelled at her trying to cope with the pain she caused him with the agiels.

"_Cara, please, don't go! Let us get to the village and then we'll turn back."_ The boy pleaded standing between her and the Commander. The woman looked at him for a moment and went into the dark.

"_She'll come back."_ Renn reassured the man helping him to his feet. _"You're a fool."_

"_I know but she's also tough. It's like beating my head against a brick wall and those nightmares! Look at her, she sleeps briefly almost an hour at night. She's always moody. I don't want anything bad happen to you or her. I'm responsible for you two and the mission. It's our task to find them or otherwise the whole camp will be at risk." _The man explained.

They walked the next day in silence. The village was empty. Rotten bodies were in the streets and in houses. The smell was unbearable. Renn couldn't stand the appearance of the bodies. He vomited his dinner on the ground next to one of the corpses.

"_Take it. Don't gulp__, just wash your mouth."_ Reinold gave him a skin with water.

"_Thanks."_ The kid looked pale.

Suddenly Cara saw something moving but it quickly hid in one of the houses. She unsheathed her agiels and slowly went into the house.

"_Come on, reveal yourself. I'm not going to hurt you."_ The woman told whoever she saw in the street. The room was silent until she heard a crack of the cupboard door. She kneeled and opened it to find a small boy of six or seven year old inside. _"Hi." _Cara took away the agiels. _"What's your name? Don't worry I won't hurt you."_

The name of this fair haired kid was Sam. He was the son of a carpenter. Dracul's battalion killed his father and his little sister. They killed all children, old men and women in the village as well as those who were against them. Young women and men were taken with the battalion. The boy said that soldiers took his mother too. The D'Harans left three days ago. Kid was hungry. Cara fed him with fried hare they used to catch and prepare in the morning. They still had three or four hours till the dark. So, they decided to go further of course they took the poor kid with them.

On the second day they met a D'Haran patrol. Four men died swiftly with the help of two agiels and one sword. At night Cara, Reinold and Renn penetrated into the D'Haran camp. They easily slaughtered two men who guarded the house of the D'Haran general. Cara wasn't surprised to see two naked women in general's bed. D'Haran soldiers were renowned for their lack of self-restrain. Reinold pressed the sword to general's bare chest while the Mord'Sith stopped women from getting out. The boy listened and he was really surprised of what he heard. He looked at Cara in astonishment when back at the general.

"_What is it, Renn? What does this bastard think about? I can make him speed his thoughts if you like."_ The woman told the boy taking a step to the bed.

"_There's no need. Your dream… Darken Rahl is alive but as I understand he wants to fight Lord Dracul that's why Dracul's army left the village. They are heading east to defeat Darken Rahl's forces."_ The Listener told his companions.

"_It's not true! He plays tricks on you."_ Cara disagreed with the news.

"_No, it is true. I've heard other soldiers talking about it. Sister Nicci revived Darken Rahl to defeat the evil__. There's a rumor that the Keeper has sent Lord Rahl to defeat his own son because he was jealous of him not returning back to the Underworld. They say the Keeper gave him an army of Underworld creatures to conquer the land back and to kill Dracul."_ One of the women spoke standing in front of Cara shivering in her bed-sheet.

"_Kill him. He's of no use anymore."_ The Mord'Sith ordered the Commander who stabbed the general.

"_Please, don't kill us, Mistress."_ The woman who has just spoken fell on her knees.

"_You aren't a whore, are you?"_ Cara asked her without any shame in her voice.

"_No, Mistress, they took us from Grisemount. It's a village not far from here. Now we're their slaves."_ She cried looking pleadingly at Cara.

"_Fine, then. You two can go with us. We have to leave until other __guards haven't arrived."_ Reinold offered.

"_No, sir. I can't go without my husband. He's a blacksmith and they keep useful people in prison. If I lose him I__ won't be anything but a whore. He's all I have."_ The same woman pleaded.

"_Then you can stay here and become one. We're leaving."_ Cara said heading to the exit.

"_Do you know where that prison is?" _Commander asked the woman.

"_It's in a wine vault in the northern part of the village." _She explained.

"_What's his name? I'll try to get him out."_ Styx answered.

Cara went closer to the Commander as if she wanted to smack him hard in the face: _"Are you out of you mind? We're in the enemy camp! You think you can go everywhere you want unnoticed and they'll what, greet you with open arms?" _

"_I have__ a better plan. You take Renn and these women to Sam and I disguise in the form of one of those guards we left outside, go to that vault and take out that woman's husband."_ He whispered to her.

The Mord'Sith screwed up her eyes: _"You know, sometimes I don't understand either you want to piss me off or you're really that stupid?"_

While they were talking a woman, who stood there in silence tried to get out from the house but Renn put a knife to her chest. _"Stay where you are or I kill you."_ The boy said knife shaking in his hands.

"_Really?" _she smiled at him and tried to caress his face.

"_Really."_ Cara said and cut her throat from behind. The woman couldn't even have time to make a sound. She fell flat on the floor. Renn just stood there with a shaking knife in his hands eyes widely open.

"_She wanted to set an alarm."_ He exclaimed still panting from that that had just happened.

"_I know."_ Cara said calmly. _"Next time make sure you stick to your word." _She told Renn. _"What's your name?"_ She asked the woman in a bed sheet standing next to the bed shivering in a shock.

"_Melisa."_ She mumbled.

"_Melisa, get dressed! Renn take her to Sam and make sure the kid is all right. I'll go with the Commander Styx to free the hostages. We'll join you in the morning, if not, then ran away and find your way back to the Mother Confessor." _She ordered the boy. When they were ready to leave Cara stopped Melisa by the hand. _"Melisa, if only one single hair falls down from this boy's head I promise you, I'll become a baneling and find you wherever you'll be hiding."_ Poor woman just nodded took Renn by the hand and they disappeared in the dark.

"_Commander Styx, your plan sucks."_ Cara told the man as a matter-of-fact.

"_And how do you suppose to help me? There's no Mord'Siths in here. You can't disguise as a soldier, 'cause their clothes will be giant for you. So, tell me your brilliant idea of getting that man out without waking up the whole village, Mistress Cara."_ He emphasized her name.

"_If you can be a D'Haran guard than I can disguise as a slut with my agiels under skirts."_ She informed him taking the dead woman's dress from the floor.

"_I never thought a Mord'Sith could propose such a solution. Isn'__t it beneath your dignity?"_ He asked the woman curious.

"_If you told me to disguise as a whore, it would be beneath my dignity and also it would cause you __not an honorable death. But it was me who spoke first, so, you're safe."_ She smiled at him fake smile. _"Would you mind turning your back to me or you'll be staring bluntly with your mouth open until I dress up?" _She asked him sarcastically.

"_Hmmm. Sorry! I'll get dressed too."_ He turned his back to her and started to put on the D'Haran clothes.

_**To be continued…**_


	23. Chapter 23

**The Bess**

**Part 23**

"_Mother Confessor, is the girl all right?"_ A Sister of Light, who was teaching at school, addressed Kahlan in the street of their mount town.

"_Yes, she's fine. What's the matter?"_ Kahlan looked worried.

"_Aisha is my best student but I haven't seen her since Friday. Today is Tuesday but she hasn't been at school, I want to know the reason. Maybe I can help."_ The woman with sand hair told Kahlan.

"_No, thank yo__u, Sister Alexandra. I'll deal with it."_ Kahlan smiled at the woman and turned away. The news was bad. This child cheated on her. She gave her word to Cara that she would control the bess but this was far from truth. Kahlan was so busy helping with arrangements and solving stupid issues that she completely forgot about her first and the most serious responsibility to keep an eye on the unpredictable child. Now she could only pray that it wasn't too late and everyone was alive.

When the Mother Confessor came home Aisha was sitting in their room scribing something diligently on board which was on the floor.

"_Hey, what are you doing?"_ the woman kneeled beside the girl to see sentences written on the board.

"_My history lesson. We have to name all the battles of Travis, the Seeker of Truth, who lived in ancient times."_ Aisha answered writing a name of the next battle place.

Kahlan smiled and stroke gently girl's head: _"Do you like going to school?"_

"_Yes, it's very interesting. Sister Alexandra knows so many stories, and I also like algebra and literature." _She looked innocently in Kahlans blue eyes and for the 1000 time the woman felt nothing. She couldn't say if the girl was lying or if she was telling the truth. She couldn't read her like her mother.

"_I'm glad that you like school. Many children hate it, because they want to play instead of learning each single day."_ Kahlan told her just to hear the reply.

"_I'm not like any of them."_ Aisha said simply.

"_Yeah, you aren't. For instance, I told you thousand times not to lie on a cold floor but who listens, nobody!"_ the woman reproved the child.

"_I write legibly when I'm lying on the floor. Have you seen my handwriting? Teacher says it's a disaster!"_ Aisha excused herself.

"_I count to three and you get up and sit at __a table or believe me a real disaster will happen to you. One, two…"_ Kahlan stood up and folded her arms to warn this naughty girl. Aisha stood up unwillingly and collected her things to put them on the table. _"Good girl. You have one more hour until supper."_ The Mother Confessor stated and left the room. Aisha just frowned.

In the morning Aisha had breakfast, took her bag and waved Kahlan, Richard and Zedd good bye but this time Kahlan hurried after the girl. Aisha went four blocks on the way to school but then she changed her direction and went towards the suburbs of the town. The Mother Confessor couldn't understand why the child went to the blind alley until she noticed the girl disappear in a narrow crack in the rock. Kahlan was thin enough to follow the child. The woman nearly lost her balance stepping into complete darkness. She stumbled over something soft but hard at the same time. It was Aisha's bag with books. She waited for her eyes to get used to the darkness and started climbing up the narrow slot. When Kahlan managed to appear on the mountain Aisha was half-way on the hugest oak tree the woman has ever seen in her life. The girl was really swift like a cat jumping from one branch to another.

"_Aisha! Come down right now!"_ The exhausted woman commanded. Maybe it was easy for a child to climb such a narrow slot but not for a young slim build woman not thin enough for some twisting rocky slot. She scratched her hands and soiled her dress and she was definitely in a bad mood.

The girl nearly lost her balance. She was quite sure that nobody followed her but she did as she was told. When her feet reached the ground the child very slowly went to the Mother Confessor ready for everything.

"_So, Aisha Mason, can you tell me, why aren't you at school that you like so much?" _Kahlan said strictly.

"_You're hurt. Let me help you."_ The girl wanted to heal woman's scratched hands but Kahlan stopped her.

"_Don't deflect! I want to know, why are you climbing trees instead of sitting at a lesson right now?"_ the Mother Confessor was very angry at least she showed like she was.

"_I don't want to go to school." _

"_May I ask why?" _

"_My classmates, they don't like me. I do all the tasks quicker than them, so they think I'm arrogant, but I'm not. I just memorize things very fast, I don't know why, but it's boring to wait for them. They think I do it on purpose. They started to call me names and then to boycott me. This is really annoying, so I decided to quit the school in order not to harm anyone."_ The curly girl explained.

"_Aisha, why didn't you tell me?" _

"_I didn't want to upset you. You work day after day helping everyone, settling disputes, taking hard decisions. I'm old enough to understand. I don't want to be a burden." _The child replied.

The Mother Confessor didn't know what to do either to laugh or cry. She has never heard such words from a ten-year old pretty girl.

"_Aisha, you're not a burden. You're a child. Yes, I agree, a very intelligent child but you're just a little girl, who has to learn, play, make fun and talk to someone about that what bothers you. You can't isolate yourself from everyone just because you're afraid to hurt somebody." _Kahlan explained trying not to touch Aisha with her scratched hands.

"_I don't want Mistress Cara to be disappointed in me."_ Girl replied sadly.

"_She would be disappointed if you run from the problems instead of facing them and also she would be really disappointed if you flee from normal life and hide somewhere. You are stronger than that. So, tomorrow you'll be present at the lessons no matter what and if anything happens I deal with it. __Agreed?" _

"_Agreed."_ Aisha nodded.

"_Why were you climbing that tree?"_ Kahlan asked seriously.

"_We are at the top of the mountain and it is the highest tree. I could have seen when Mistress Cara__ arrived."_ The girl said.

"_Do you miss __your mother?"_

Aisha nodded.

"_She'll come back soon. They have__ already found a D'Haran camp. Come on, let's go home." _

"_Not until I heal your hands." _Aisha used her power to heal the Mother Confessor.

**Night. D'Haran camp.**

"_So, do I look like a whore?" _Cara turned in front of the Commander revealing her frivolous dress.

"_It seems to me whatever I say will give you a reason to smack me. So, it'll be wise enough to keep __quiet."_ Reinold said in amusement.

"_Coward!"_ The Mord'Sith passed the man striking him lightly with a fan.

"_I love you, Cara."_ These words made her stop and turn to face him. _"Yes, I love you. I can't be disrespectful to any woman, especially the one I love."_ She looked in his deep dark eyes for a moment then turned her back to the man.

"_Let's go__."_ The Mord'Sith snapped but his words struck her. She had to focus on their mission and deal with it later.

They went together through the camp lit by the moonlight, a D'Haran soldier and a beautiful courtesan.

"_Hey, how is your shift going? I bet you wouldn't mind to have some fun."_ Commander told the guards motioning to Cara.

"_Sorry, we're at the post."_ The soldier shook his head.

"_Come on, tell the lieutenant that it's time for rack duty." _Styx smiled taking out a bowl of wine.

"_Fine, you may go."_ The young man said and let the couple in.

They went downstairs into the vault and found six soldiers sitting at the table playing cards.

"_Hey, guys! And where's Peter? That bastard outside told me he's on duty today__ though I brought some wine and I see here's a good company!"_ Commander Styx played a very drunk man. He leaned on Cara almost hanging from her shoulder. They approached the company and he placed the bowl in the middle of the table.

"_Where __have you brought me, dirty pig?" _Cara shook the soldier from her shoulder.

"_Come here, buddy!"_ One of the men stood up and took one more chair for the Commander.

"_And you we'll sit __at my lap, sugar!"_ The other man grabbed Cara by the hips and forced her to sit down at his lap.

They exchanged civilities, drank some wine until the man started to get under the Mord'Sith's skirts. She didn't hesitate to show the man her naked thigh. She stopped his hand with hers revealing more naked skin. While the bastard was caressing her inner part of the thing she grabbed her agiel and poked him with it right in the heart. He made a strange gurgling noise and his playful hand rested forever. Commander stabbed his neighbor with the dagger and was swift enough to slice the throat of the other man. Three soldiers jumped from their places and unsheathed their swords but the steel clanging didn't last for long. Within five minutes everything went silent. Woman took the keys from the vault cells and followed the Commander who went forward to protect her from an unexpected attack. They killed four more guards and freed 27 prisoners.

"_Now listen to me carefully. We have slaughtered 10 men, so 10 of you who are strong enough to fight __may take their swords. Others take daggers and knives. We have to do it quickly and in silence. We'll try to get you through the camp, but you also have to fight or nobody leaves this place." _Cara ordered.

"_Why should we listen to a slut?"_ A 16 year old boy asked looking at the Mord'Sith in her low-necked dress. Suddenly he was hit with a huge male fist right in his face. He didn't fall down because a man behind him grabbed the poor boy. Blood ran down from a smashed nose.

"_She helped me to set you free. If anyone calls her __names again I'll kill him I promise." _Commander Styx said still clenching his fist. Cara just raised her brow. The crowd went to the exit where Styx and Cara eliminated the guards. They tried to get silently through the camp but the clank of swords made it impossible and now 28 men and a woman were fighting against the D'Haran batallion. These men weren't skilled fighters, so within minutes half of them were dead. But women, who were taken as hostages and used as sluts, took arms and started to fight against their torturers. The camp was a mess. They fought fiercely for an hour. Soil was covered with dead bodies. The battle was over. Cara and Commander both covered in blood stood in the moonlight. All the men they rescued lied on the ground together with the enslaved women.

"_I told you it was a bad idea!"_ Cara said sarcastically.

"_I have never seen something like this before. We massacred __the whole D'Haran battalion with help of the common people." _Reinold sounded astonished.

"_Aha. So __where is that woman's husband for me to revive him?"_ Cara snapped back.

"_How many people you can revive?"_ Reinold asked seriously.

"_I don't know__. I've never thought of it." _The Mord'Sith replied sincerely.

"_Maybe you try to revive as many as possible?"_ he suggested.

"_I'm a Mord'Sith not the Creator."_ She snapped back.

She revived all the men who weren't damaged badly in the battle and started to revive women. The more persons she gave the Breath of Life the more asked her to revive their friends or relatives and in 20 minutes she felt herself exhausted.

"_I can't do this anymore."_ She said trying not to lose consciousness but the crowd didn't step back. She shared the Breath of Life with one more woman and the world went black. The Mord'Sith revived 16 men and 9 women. Commander Styx took her in his arms and went to find Renn, Sam and the woman they have already rescued.

_**To be continued…**_

_**P.S. the word "cara" **__**translated from Russian means "penalty or punishment". Maybe Terry Goodkind knew about it when he gave his beloved Mord'Sith such a name? I'm just guessing.**_


	24. Chapter 24

**The Bess**

**Part 24**

"_Zedd, what do you know about the Mord'sith's magic?"_ Richard came into the living room with a journey book in his hands.

"_The Mord'Siths have the power of a subtractive magic to defeat the additive magic of wizards, though they also have some additive magic called the Breath of Life to revive their tortured slaves. But you know this. Why do you ask?"_ The wizard said taking a big bite of a cabbage cake. It was late in the evening, so, Aisha was long gone to bed.

"_Commander Styx writes that they have defeated the whole D'Haran battalion but all the hostages they have managed to set free were killed by D'Haran soldiers. Cara revived 25 of them but now she is barely alive. She has blacked out and hasn't come back since then."_ Richard explained.

"_A Mord'Sith cannot revive so many persons because sharing a Breath of Life with someone means sharing a piece of her own life!"_ Zedd couldn't agree with such nonsense. It wasn't like Cara at all.

"_Though she did it and now she's dying. Can you help her?"_ Richard asked the wizard.

"_What's happened to Mistress Cara?"_ a young girl's voice interrupted their conversation.

Kahlan turned to face the child standing in her sleeping gown right behind her back.

"_Aisha, it's all right. Cara is fine."_ Kahlan said trying to be convincing.

"_You are lying! I've heard she's dying!"_ Aisha shouted, - _"What's wrong with her?"_

"_It'll be all right. She revived too many people and now she has to regain her power back. It's just a matter of time."_ Kahlan said reassuringly but she didn't believe her own words.

Aisha hurried to the door. Kahlan was fast enough to stop her.

"_Where are you going?" _She asked the girl.

"_I'll heal her. Move!"_ Aisha ordered the woman.

"_Aisha, go to bed now!"_ Kahlan snapped back.

"_If you won't move I'll make you!"_ the creature roared. The bess tried to jump at Kahlan but she made a step aside. Girl hit the closed door. Aisha turned to her opponent revealing nice long sharp claws. She attacked the woman again. This time the Mother Confessor's hand gripped creature's throat and she released her power. The bess fell on her knees eyes dark as night.

"_Command me, Confessor!"_ the child said turning back to her normal state.

If it wasn't a wall behind her back Kahlan would have fallen on the floor. She gasped for air already regretting her action: _"Aisha, what have I done?"_

Richard hurried to the Mother Confessor and Aisha was standing near the door looking blankly at Kahlan.

"_Don't worry. She'll be fine. I promise."_ The Seeker hugged Kahlan trying to soothe her.

Zedd just stood up and stared at the three of them. Suddenly Aisha opened the door with a bang and ran into the darkness.

"_Great! She made a fool of us! Stay here, I'll get her back!"_ Richard took the Sword of Truth and disappeared in the street. Kahlan smiled and cried at the same time peering into the darkness.

Richard caught up with the child only at the entrance square illuminated by torches. The bess attacked him. The Seeker had to use his sword to defend her. He didn't want to but he injured her right leg and it took him several minutes to press her to the ground with the sword at her throat.

"_Aisha, stop it! I don't want to hurt you."_ He cried looking at the poor child lying on cold stones of the square with a big gash on her hip. Blood dropped from the wound.

"_I don't want my mother to die."_ She said wearily.

"_Just think a little! How do you expect to heal her when she is hundreds leagues from here and you're in a sleeping gown and without boots?"_ the man asked her seriously giving her a hand. He noticed blood on the fabric. _"Holy spirits, you're wounded! Let's go back until you bleed to death."_ The Seeker took the child into his arms and ran to their house.

"_Kahlan, I wounded her!"_

Kahlan and Zedd came to Aisha who was now lying on a couch. While Zedd examined the wound Kahlan went to bring hot water.

"_I cannot heal her. My magic won't work."_ The wizard said looking at the girl who was lying calmly without any emotions on her face.

Kahlan took a wet cloth to wipe blood from skin. Aisha hissed a little and stirred.

"_I'm sorry. It needs to be cleaned."_ The Mother Confessor explained as if the girl didn't understand. _"Aisha, I'm sorry that I got angry at you. I have nearly confessed you."_

"_Do you know that when you confess somebody it's ticklish?.. Ouch! It hurts!" _Aisha cried.

"_I know__. I need to stop the bleeding and to clean the wound."_ Kahlan looked worried at the wound.

"_I don't need this. I want my mom back. Can you help her?"_ Aisha tried to get rid of Kahlan's hands.

"_Aisha, stay calm! We can't help her. She is too far away from here. Nobody will make it in time."_ The woman was really desperate, knowing that her best friend is dying and her daughter is badly wounded.

"_Rihard, bring Verna here. She would take care of the wound. I try to help Cara."_ The wizard said to the Seeker.

"_How?"_ Richard didn't understand what his grandfather is talking about.

"_I turn into a bird and fly__ to that village they are in. What's the name of it?" _

"_Avdarma. It's __to the east of the mount. There is a map in the journey book and Aisha made a copy of it."_ Richard went to his room and brought a paper with the map on it.

Zedd took a look at the map and said: _"Fine. Get Verna. Take care of the child and don't worry I'll do my best to heal Cara." _He went to the entrance square, got out from the cave city and turned into a peregrine falcon – the fastest flying bird he knew. The wizard couldn't lose any second. He spread the wings and flew straight to Avdarma.

**Avdarma village. Next day**

"_Here is your lunch__, Commander."_ A woman with long blonde hair, beautiful grey eyes and plump lips came in with a tray in her hands.

"_Thank you__, but I'm not really hungry." _Reinold told the woman making plans to evacuate the village. He sat in an arm-chair just next to Cara's bed hoping she would come to consciousness instead she looked paler and paler with every hour.

"_Who was she to you? I've never seen a Mord'Sith helping people__ before." _The woman said and approached the bed.

"_She's a special one. It's my fault she's dying." _He replied sadly. _"Thank you for everything, Magda."_

"_It is me who should thank you. You've rescued my son and your woman revived me. I owe you so much!"_

"_She's not my woman. We're just friends. And you don't owe us anything. We did our job and our job is war, that's why we did it."_ He said looking at Cara with sorrow and tenderness at the same time.

"_You saved us. I hope she'll be fine. Sadly, nobody of the villagers can do anything for her."_ She tucked the blanket over Cara's still body.

"_She'll get through it. She's strong."_ He reassured the woman. Magda left him with his lunch and sad thoughts about the Mord'Sith's state.

In an hour a boy with scarlet hair stormed into the room with a falcon on his shoulder.

"_Reinold, Zedd__! He's already here!"_ he exclaimed.

"_Where?"_ Commander Styx jumped from his seat to look at the window.

"_Here."_ The wizard told reappearing in his human form.

"_Thank the spirits, Zedd, you'__ve made it!"_ Reinold approached the old man.

"_Whose bright idea was to revive that number of people?"_ the wizard grumbled. He went to the bed and stretched his hand to examine the Mord'Sith's state with his magic. Cara was lying motionless. Her skin was pale almost marble blue. Her lips turned whitish-blue and the wizard could feel her breathing only with magic, because there were no signs of her breathing at all.

"_It is all my fault. I challenged her. I'm responsible for her condition. Can you help her?"_ Commander asked with hope in his words.

Zedd used some kind of spell and Cara slowly opened her eyes. The wizard sat down on the bed side in order not to fall on his knees.

Cara swallowed hard and barely whispered: _"How long was I out?"_

"_Two days. Don't talk, save your strength. I'm so glad you're back." _Reinold took Cara's hand in his and kissed it. The Mord'Sith didn't have strength to take it away.

"_You're lucky enough that I've got here right in time or she would have been dead!"_ The wizard reprimanded the man who was holding Cara's hand as if it was the last piece of the most adorable treasure in the world.

Commander took a cup of water, because Cara wanted to say something but her dry throat couldn't make a sound. The woman gulped the water greedily.

"_Where are we?"_ she asked.

"_At a village we had passed a day before the battle."_ Reinold responded.

"_Leave her rest. She needs __to sleep to regain her power as I need it."_ Zedd told the Commander and the boy who left the room together with the old man.

**Cave city. Evening**** of the next day.**

Sister Beatrice taught Aisha how to knit. Kahlan seemed to be really desperate at that task but the blonde girl became quickly interested and was doing well. Sister Verna forbade the poor child to move because her wound was deep and it took time for them to stop the bleeding. Now Aisha had to lie in bed with only company of Sister Beatrice and her stories. Kahlan came home not long ago and joined their company. Richard worked on the security of the fortress and was a chief of the Resistance military force. So, everyday he listened to reports of the intelligence service or it was called Special Squad – brave men who scanned the surrounding territories and reported of some unusual or predictable things. The Mother Confessor was occupied with the life of the community as the most reasonable person to whom everybody could turn for a piece of advice. Verna was responsible for provision and medicine. Sister Alexandra with other four Sisters of Light took care of education and children's leisure time. Every person in this city was responsible for something and everybody tried to help each other because they knew that otherwise they wouldn't succeed in the fight with Lord Dracul and now maybe with Lord Rahl.

"_Hey, how's our patient doing?"_ Richard approached Aisha's bed and kissed her in the cheek.

"_Hey! I'm fine! What's with this sloppy sentimentality?"_ the girl made a face and wiped away Richard kiss as if it was something horrible.

"_I have good news for you."_ The Seeker sat at the bedside and opened a journey book. _"Commander Styx says that Cara regained consciousness and they'll start their journey back in two days."_

"_Great! But it's still two or three weeks for them to come here." _Aisha exclaimed and frowned.

"_It means that your wound will be healed and you can meet them on your own."_ Kahlan smiled at the girl.

"_Yes, and maybe I'll manage to knit a coat for Mistress Cara."_ The child said with pleasure in her voice.

"_To knit a coat you have a lot to learn."_ Sister Beatrice commented.

"_I'm a swift learner and you're a good teacher."_ Aisha replied.

"_Nevertheless, I failed to teach Mother Confessor."_

"_I think I'm better in crochet."_ Kahlan said embarrassed that a ten year old girl was doing better in knitting than herself.

"_Don't worry, __Mother Confessor, each one has its own unique skills."_ Sister Beatrice reassured the woman.

**Two days later somewhere in the mountain****s**

Cara was walking next to the wizard in her new grey and blue battle costume sewn by the tailor whom she revived. It included tight grey woolen pants, dark blue long-sleeved tunic with grey leather insets that perfectly embraced all the curves of her muscular body and covered the upper part of her thighs and dark blue cloak to protect her from cold winds. Renn was also wearing a suit proper for travelling with high fur boots and a woolen cloak with fur. Commander Styx just used old but perfectly protecting D'haran uniform that he borrowed from the dead general. Zedd also was provided with a great long dark cherry woolen cloak. It was the beginning of November and everybody knew that this month is unpredictable in the north. The survived villagers decided to join the Resistance. They didn't want to wait for the mercy of soldiers that might come to their village. So, a group of 29 men and women and two children went to the cave city.

"_Zedd, tell me how's the Resistance doing. Are they prepared to face Dracul's and Rahl's armies?"_ Cara spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"_Are you interested in the Resistance or how's Aisha doing without her mother?"_ Zedd repeated her question with a concrete addition to it.

"_Is she all right?"_ Cara asked seriously.

"_Yeah, she's fine. She goes to school and is the best student in her class. She listens to every Kahlan's word. She's a great kid __in contrast to her mother who nearly died trying to fulfill the task of the Kreator."_ Zedd once again lectured the Mord'Sith

"_Yes, to revive such a bunch of villagers was stupid. I think I need my training back 'cause with you__, people, I'm becoming soft."_

"_No, Cara! You are learning how to regain your humanity. What you've done is more precious than anybody has done before. You sacrificed your life to give it to people you don't even know!"_ Zedd put his hand on the Mord'Sith's shoulder.

"_Whatever! It was stupid!"_ She shook her head in disaccord.

"_What'__s between you and the Commander?"_ Zedd continued his interrogation.

"_There is nothing between me and the Commander."_ Cara snapped back.

"_I noticed the way he stares at you. Whatever it is between you two it could have caused you life__, because you wouldn't risk your life if it wasn't a challenge."_ He explained his thoughts.

"_I told you, it has nothing to do with the Commander Styx!" _She hissed at the wizard.

"_I can only hope so, because Aisha nearly tore Kahlan to pieces when she had found out that you were dying."_ He said nonchalantly.

"_What? Is Kahlan alright?"_ the Mord'Sith was truly worried.

"_She's fine, but Aisha was wounded seriously by Richard. I couldn't heal her. Verna is taking care of her. Aisha is doing well. Next time you want to bet on your life think twice, because someone of your friends or relatives could die."_ Zedd finished his lecture.

Cara frowned and started to walk quicker to leave the wizard behind.

**To be cont****inued…**


	25. Chapter 25

**The Bess**

**Part 25**

Cara and Commander were on watch as three other men. They travelled for more than four days and still she didn't have any time to talk to the Commander. But she wanted the things to go straight between them

"_Reinold."_ The Mord'Sith approached the man who stood peering in the darkness of the wood.

"_Yes, Cara." _He turned to her.

"_That what you've said in the general's quarters before the battle…"_ She didn't know how to continue.

"_I meant it. I love you."_ Commander Styx brushed away some locks from her face and leaned to kiss her but Cara stopped him. She put her finger on his lips.

"_I'm sorry. I don't have the same feelings for you. I don't want to hurt. You're a great man but I don't think I can love you."_ The Mord'Sith told him almost in a whisper and took his hand away from her face.

"_Are you in love with someone else?"_ The man asked disappointed, though he knew that it was stupid to fall in love with a Mord'Sith.

"_What? No,… no…"_ Cara chuckled looking at his desperate expression. _"You know my training doesn't leave any possibility to love somebody. I can't feel anything but pain and I don't want a person beside me feel miserable. It's how I am." _She shrugged her shoulders.

"_I would love you with all passion and tenderness you've ever thought about. I'll make you feel the same!"_ He insisted.

But Cara just shook her head: _"I'm sorry, you must find a decent woman I'm not your match."_

She left him there disillusioned and broken but he was a man he could cope with it. The Mord'Sith was on watch all night staring into the sky light-headed. She has never felt so free before like a heavy sack fell down from her shoulders. Now she had one aim – her child, who supposed to free this world from the evil.

**Cave city the end of November:**

Aisha's leg was healed. The wound left a prominent scar on her thigh but she was proud of it rather than regretted about it. Now she had a scar and looked just like her mother. The true Mord'Siths should have scars otherwise they were lame. The bad thing was that she had to go to school again and interact with children. She tried to be polite. The girl never responded at any question even if she knew the answer until somebody from her class answered or the teacher named her to respond it. She talked to other kids only if they wanted to copy the homework off or if they asked her the right answers during a test-paper. Many of her classmates played in the yard during a break but she was sitting at her desk with a book not to involve in anything that could lead to getting into trouble. But still some of the children couldn't leave her alone. Three boys have been bulling her since the day she came to school. One of them – Robert or Bob as his gang called him was an 11 year-old boy who threatened all kids in the class and was famed for his stupid tricks and silly nicknames he used to give other children. Aisha ignored him when he called her different offensive words, spilt ink on her works, talked nonsense about her.

She went home after school examining the hard rock under her feet. It was snowing outside but snowflakes went through the crack windows made in the mountain and turned to water, so even if it was snowing outside, here in the city it was always raining. The girl put on her hood to protect her head from drizzling rain and suddenly a little rock hit her back not hard but it made her turn around to look who was the intruder.

"_Going home, Bessy! What about playing __with us? You against us!"_ He laughed when another sharp rock thrown from the older boy nearly hit her in the face, but she was quick enough to bow to avoid it.

"_That's not my name and I don't like playing."_ Aisha replied and put her hands in the pockets.

"_Why? I think it's a lot of fun."_ Bob smirked.

"_Leave her alone."_ A teenage voice came from behind.

"_Oh! You have an admirer! How sweet! A beastly creature has a looser to help her."_ The boy continued mocking.

"_I told you! Leave her alone."_ Eric was standing now in front of Aisha trying to hide her from stones.

"_Oh, I'm so scared!"_ Robert's sarcasm started to be annoying. _"You're so afraid of who you are that you don't even want to show yourself. Renn told us everything! You're a bess an Underworld beast. Thanks, your mother-whore died giving you birth, you, Keeper's creature!"_

Eric made two steps to smack the boy but he was pushed apart by such a force that made him fall to the ground. Two boys-guards were lying in mud wiping blood from their face and weeping like mamma's darlings. Robert lied on his back on the ground and Aisha sat right on him her claws caressing his now naked throat. She leaned her face closer to his to show him the sharpness of her fangs.

"_Did you want to see this? Then enjoy it!"_ She ran a finger down his cheek leaving a line filling quickly with drops of blood.

Suddenly sharp pain got through her body making the girl gasp. At the next moment something strong and nearly furious got her up and put at her feet.

"_Why can't I leave you for a month not thinking each passing day about you getting into trouble!"_

The bess was really astonished to hear such a familiar voice: _"Mistress Cara?"_

Cara's hand held her daughter tight by the scuff of the neck.

"_Did she hurt you?"_ The Mord'Sith asked three boys.

"_Yes, this, this… creature wanted to __kill us!"_ Robert complained his eyes too wide with fear.

"_He's lying! She didn't want to do them any harm. They made her! They mocked at her!"_ Eric said. He already got up from the ground and now was staring astonished at Cara and Aisha.

"_He's telling the truth."_ The Mother Confessor approved boy's words.

Three boys tried to move backwards but some citizens stopped them.

"_Aisha, take my agiels."_ Cara ordered.

"_What for? I don't want to!"_ The girl pleaded.

"_Take them and punish __these boys as you wanted to, just don't kill them."_ Cara's words sounded cold and sober. Aisha hesitated. The Mord'Sith put one agiel in girl's hand. _"You have your right to punish them. Go ahead!"_

Aisha's hand trembled a little from the pain agiel caused her. She looked at three boys now standing frightened as puppies in a storm and she put the agiel back in the holster.

"_I won't do that."_ She said firmly.

"_Why? They __scoffed at you, three against one. You have a right to teach them a good lesson."_ Cara insisted in her cynical tone.

"_No one deserves to be punished by an agiel. Let them go."_ Aisha replied softly.

"_Fine. You three may go. And you, little girl, __will have a long talk about this small incident."_ The Mord'Sith said critically. The girl hung her head and went home silently.

They entered the house and the girl was immediately hugged by Renn.

"_Hey! How are you? There are so many things I have to tell you. It was quite an adventure!"_ he spoke so quickly that Aisha could hardly understand him. She didn't say anything. Then he discovered the saddest look on her face. _"What's wrong? Are you alright?"_

"_I have to change." _She replied softly and went to her room followed by Cara.

Aisha noticed that Mother Confessor's things now where replaced by the Mord'Sith's. It meant that her mother would live here in the room and keep an eye on her. She sat in an armchair in the corner of the room and waited for Cara to start the conversation. Silence didn't last long.

"_Aisha, what were you thinking about when you attacked those boys? __This is how you keep your promise to be good and to obey the Mother Confessor? Do you know that after this stupid fight rumors will circulate through the whole town and people made us leave!"_ The Mord'Sith continued to paint the devil blacker than he is when she realized that the poor child wasn't paying attention to what she was speaking about but the girl was crying silently fighting not to burst into crocodile tears. Cara rolled her eyes, approached the girl and sat on the arm of the chair.

"_There is no reason to weep like that__."_ Cara reprimanded the child.

"_I thought that when you'd come back I would be able to hug you that you'd be proud of my behavior. But I've ruined everything as I always do!"_ Aisha sobbed.

"_You may hug me if you want to."_ Cara said looking at the girl.

"_How can I after that what I've done! I'm nothing but a bess!"_ She replied wiping tears with her sleeve.

"_Fine. If you don't want to hug me then I'll do it."_ Cara put her hands gently over the child's slim body and pulled her closer. Aisha's head was on Cara's lap and the Mord'Sith played with blonde curls that were now in a pony tail.

"_Mom, I missed you so much!"_ Aisha let out a small sob.

"_Me too."_ Cara replied softly.

"_You should punish me for that what I did today." _

"_You did the right thing. You didn't do anything in revenge. You let them go. It means that __they should think first about their behavior. You gave them the opportunity to be forgiven. Now these boys have two ways either they apologize or they recruit some followers to defeat you."_ The Mord'Sith explained.

Aisha put up her head in surprise: _"Would they do it?"_

"_Why not? Cowards always want revenge." _Cara said deathly sure.

"_So, if I taught them a lesson with an agiel they would have left me alone?"_ the child asked.

"_Maybe. But you have to be better than them and you showed today that you are. For people it is worth seeing that a half-human has more humanity inside than some of their kind. I'm proud of you." _Cara kissed the girl's forehead. Aisha hugged her mother with all her might.

"_I love you, mother."_ She said softly. Cara kept silent just holding the child closer to her heart.

This was the first night when the Mord'Sith slept well without any dreams and the most important without any nightmares about Darken Rahl killing Aisha. Cara opened her eyes to see two blue oceans staring at her.

"_Why aren't you sleeping?"_ She asked tiredly not wanting to leave the warmth of her soft bed.

"_The Mother Confessor is sick again but she refuses my help. Can you talk to her, please?"_ the child looked at her very seriously.

"_What's wrong with her? She looked pale yesterday."_ Cara exclaimed.

"I think it's about a worm growing inside her. I told her that I can get rid of it, because it's eating her and it's growing but she refused my help." The girl explained.

"_A worm?"_ the woman smirked.

The Mord'Sith grumbled and got up. She was in her short sleeping gown and Aisha gave her a long dressing gown.

"_I don't need this."_ Cara refused to take the gown.

"_Zedd is already awake and he's sitting in the living room."_ Aisha said stretching her hands with the dressing gown.

"_So what? I'm not naked and even if I w__ere, who cares!"_ She put on her slippers and went out. The girl just shook her head.

Cara went across the room almost unnoticed by Zedd who was reading a book with certain enthusiasm. He just responded on her greeting not getting his eyes off the book. She knocked at the Mother Confessor's door and without waiting for an answer entered her room.

Kahlan sat on her bed with a bowl in her hands. She felt dizzy and her face looked pale.

"_What's wrong with you?"_ The blonde woman asked with concern.

"_Don't know, maybe I ate something bad."_ Kahlan answered throwing contents of her stomach into the bowl.

Cara examined Kahlan with interest. She noticed some slight changes in her body which could be seen only by an experienced woman.

"_Aisha told me about a worm growing inside you. Do you want to talk about it?" _The Mord'Sith asked trying hide her smile.

"_Not really."_ Kahlan said and took a deep breath.

"_You're pregnant."_ Cara exclaimed with a surprise in her voice.

"_I'm not sure." _

Cara snorted: _"It's almost three months since that episode with that strange human fish and you're not sure! How sweet!"_

"_I had my period after that but now I've missed almost one and a half month."_ Kahlan explained wiping sweat from her face with a handkerchief.

"_Sometimes a woman can have her period during pregnancy. It's not a good sign but it doesn't mean she isn't pregnant."_ Cara said knowingly.

"_How do you know?"_ Kahlan asked the blonde.

"_I'm not the first Mord'Sith to bear children__. We have to know such things in order to use our agiel the right time to prevent another bastard to appear in the world especially if we understand that child would be weak."_ The Mord'Sith said without any emotions in her voice.

"_Cara, and you? Did you do it?"_ Kahlan was horrified with the Mord'Sith's confession.

"_No. I didn't have too. I wanted to get rid of Aisha but after my stupid suicide I was watched 24 hours a day. After giving birth to her I didn't get pregnant, though I've been with an amount of men since that time. I think it's good. I can have a lot of pleasure __without thinking about aftereffects but I don't think I want to share my body with any man after I've been through."_ Cara sat on the bed near the Mother Confessor. _"You should see a midwife and tell Richard. He would be happy as a king." _She smiled reassuringly at Kahlan.

The Mother Confessor just nodded. Cara told Aisha to heal the woman without doing any harm to the worm inside her. The blonde girl did as she was told and Kahlan could sit at the table with others listening to Renn's stories about their trip and to Richard's plans for the future of the Resistance.

**To be continued…**


	26. Chapter 26

**The Bess**

**Part 26**

Richard and Kahlan were overwhelmed with happiness. Words couldn't express their feelings. The Seeker held her and kissed her eyes then cheeks then lips. He stroked gently her belly smiling like a fool at his beauty. This was new life, their child had to be born into a brand new world where wouldn't be any Lords either Dracul or Rahl. This girl would be special and she needed a special environment for her. The love in their eyes radiated the room and its warmth wrapped everyone present.

"_Come on, how about fighting? I can't stand them anymore."_ Renn complained dragging Aisha outside.

"_What do you mean about fighting?"_ The girl asked and put on her jacket.

"_I mean this!"_ He took out his little sword and attacked her. Aisha dodged and rolled backwards to avoid the blow.

"_It's not fair! I don't have anything to defend myself."_ She bended and let the boy pass her deflecting the attack.

"_A true warrior doesn't complain about lack of arms!"_ Renn exclaimed wisely and continued his attack.

"_Since when do you know how to fight?"_ The blonde was surprised to see him so brave and stubborn.

"_Since my journey with Cara, she is a good teacher even better when the Mother Confessor."_ He lunged and made the girl hiss as his sword hit hard her arm. Aisha winced and made a step back.

"_Did she train you with an agiel?"_ She hissed again when Renn hit her shoulder.

"_Yes, that's why I've learned so quickly. Might makes right."_ He nearly knocked the girl off her feet but she jumped aside and kicked him hard on the knee. Renn lost the balance and fell on solid rock. Aisha pressed his hand with her boot and took the sword away.

"_Still I can defeat you barehanded."_ She smiled at him and offered her hand. Instead of standing up the boy pulled her down. They rolled on the ground. Renn pressed her to the ground simply sitting down at her and gripped her hand with the sword so that the blade was inches from her throat.

"_Don't underestimate your enemy!"_ The red-head winked at her with a huge smile playing on his face.

They heard applause from behind. Cara stood there in her long blue cloak clapping her hands.

"_Great job, Renn! Aisha, you have to train."_ She said to her daughter.

"_Get up!"_ the girl snapped at a very satisfied boy.

This evening the mighty Mord'Sith spent fighting with two kids. They returned home to dinner hungry, exhausted, dirty and bruised all over. The boy and the girl came into the room and Kahlan nearly jumped with surprise.

"_What's happened to you?"_ She asked looking at the mess in front of her.

"_I trained them,"_ Cara said walking inside also dirty but with a grin.

"_Are you alright? Maybe I should send for a healer?" _Kahlan asked the kids with concern in her voice.

"_No, we'll be fine,"_ Renn assured her, _"All we need is hot water and a basin to wash and some clean clothes."_ He disappeared in his room and Aisha followed his example.

"_Cara, they are going to school tomorrow! But how do they go covered in bruises from top to toe!" _The woman was pissed off with the Mord'Sith's behavior.

"_Kahlan, please, don't tell me how to train a warior."_ Cara took off her new gloves and the cloak and sat at a table.

"_There isn't a clean spot to be seen on them! It's not training, it's a torture!"_ She lectured the blonde woman.

"_Do you hear them complain?"_ She asked boldly.

Kahlan wanted to defend her point of view but Richard got into the scene. He came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"_Kahlan, relax. Cara won't do anything to harm them. She just teaches them endurance and boldness. Don't worry. They'll be fine."_ He kissed her neck gently. The Mother Confessor shook her head in disagreement but was silent.

After dinner kids went to bed. They fell asleep at the moment their head hit the pillow. To be trained by a Mord'Sith was exhausting.

**Next day. At school:**

Robert and his escort made their way between the rows of desks. Passing Aisha's desk he brushed against her inkpot and the paper absorbed it quickly, though a two hours work was ruined. The girl jumped from her chair to prevent her dress being spoilt by ink. Boys just smirked. Sister Alexandra wasn't in the classroom. She was with other children outside during a break. Aisha wanted to finish her composition, so she remained in the class.

"_Wipe it away!"_ a voice came from behind the trio.

"_Or what will you do, Renn? Polish my boots?"_ Bob mocked at the red-head. _"What happened to you anyway? You are so blue like an egg-plant!"_ Two boys burst out laughing at the joke looking at Renn's bruised face.

Without any idle talk Renn approached the smirking bastard at hit him in the face with all his might. Aisha's eyes turned wide. Renn was fighting because of her. It was unusual but exciting. Instead of helping him she jumped over two chairs and ran outside to call Sister Alexandra. The latter came just in time when Renn was lying on the floor with three boys at his throat. The Sister of Light immediately used her magic to distract the attackers from their prey and Aisha kneeled near a fallen warrior.

"_Are you insane?"_ She asked him pulling him upright.

"_You don't know what this bastard thinks about you!"_ Renn stood up wiping blood from sore nose.

"_Actually I kicked his ass earlier but he obviously wants more." _She replied giving him a handkerchief.

"_Aisha! Can a lady talk like that?"_ Sister Alexandra was very disappointed of her brightest student talking like that. _"Four of you in the principal's chambers right now!"_ She said strictly looking at the boys.

**An hour later in the principal's chamber:**

Sister Alicia was the principal of the school. She healed Renn's and Bob's wounds and asked the two of them about the episode in the class room. Aisha was also here as the main subject of their disagreement. They sat still waiting for the judgement. The Mord'Sith entered the room and three attackers nearly snuggled up at her appearance.

"_Renn, I expected anything from Aisha but you?"_ Cara looked at the boy examining his expression. He sat sullenly staring at the wall. _"What is this all about?" _She asked harshly and put her hands on her hips.

"_They wanted to compromise Aisha to make her turn, you know!"_ He exclaimed angrily. "_His grandfather,"_ he pointed at Robert, _"is the elder at the council of this town. They want to call a meeting and to discuss Aisha, that's why he wanted her to show her real self, to make everyone believe she's dangerous!" _Renn was so angry that he spoke breathlessly.

A second later a fat woman stormed into the room and grabbed Robert. She immediately kicked up a fuss. She approached Aisha and started yelling at her.

"_You, little bitch, if you only touch my boy with a finger again I swear I tear you to pieces!" _The woman pointed at the girl with shaken hands in a temper.

"_Madame, could you please, calm down, because if this girl shows you her darker side I think you and your boy will turn into ink for journey books."_ Cara said in a low voice being extremely polite.

"_You, you! You'll pay for everything you did, filthy Mord'Sith!"_ the fat woman grabbed her boy and stormed out of the room so quickly that Cara didn't have time to say anything back.

The Mord'Sith left school with two children at each hand. They walked home thoughtfully staring at their feet until Aisha broke the silence.

"_I'm sorry,"_ the girl said barely audible.

"_For what, being yourself?"_ Cara repeated. _"This woman is just a stupid hen who is obsessed about her chickens. We can't blame her."_

"_They will throw us away because of me!"_ the blonde girl replied with tears in her eyes.

"_It's nonsense! Nobody throws us away because we have built this town, we protect people living here."_ The Mord'Sith reassured the child.

At home Renn came to Aisha's room while the adults were discussing something in the living room.

"_How are you?"_ he asked sitting next to the blonde girl.

"_Fine,"_ she replied softly, _"What's wrong with you? Why do you protect me? You've changed since you came back from that trip to the D'Haran camp."_

"_Now I understand a lot about you. I'm not going to be a selfish idiot like I was before."_ He answered not looking at her.

"_What do you mean?"_ the girl asked cautiously.

"_I know what they did to you at the Mord'Sith's temple and I know that you are the only clue to defeat Lord Dracul."_

"_Who told you?"_ Aisha was irritated a little by this sudden confession.

_"Nobody. I'm a Listener. I can read human minds even the Mord'Sith's. Cara is extremely worried about you. She had nightmares nearly every night when we were going to the D'Haran camp and she thought about the time when you both were tortured by your… by Lord Dracul."_ He explained.

"_What did she see in her nightmares?"_ Aisha asked interested.

"_I can't tell you."_ He deflected.

"_Why? Are they about me?"_ the girl insisted.

"_I can read human minds but I can't see the picture, but when she thought about those dreams I saw them. It was like I saw it happening. I don't want to tell you because if I tell it can become true."_ He stood up from the bed and went around absent-mindedly.

"_I suppose it doesn't end well then."_ She finished his thoughts.

"_I know what you've been through and I want to apologize for my previous behavior."_ Renn said. _"If I had a sister I wanted her to be like you."_

"_Yeah, one who can always kick her little brother's ass!" _Aisha jumped from the bed and hugged him.

"_Who's little! I'm older than you are!"_ He freed himself from her tenacious arms.

"_Still I can smack you!"_ She took a pillow and they started a fight.

Cara went into the room to find two giggling kids fighting with her pillows. She hadn't time to chastise them.

"_Aisha, let's go!"_ She ordered. Good mood vanished immediately. Both children put the pillows neatly on the bed and went out to attend the meeting.

**The entrance square:**

The square at the entrance gates were full with people. Everyone was here from magicians to peasants. The whole city came to the meeting to hear what danger they would be facing and how to avoid it. The Mother Confessor dressed in her white gown and a grey fur cloak stood at a pedestal for everyone to see and hear her. Richard was beside her as well as Zedd, Verna, Warren and Cara together with Aisha, on the right side of the Mother Confessor were three elders – the representatives of Resistance army and of common people.

"_People of Resistance, we are here to take up a matter of a girl, whom many of you know too well, though some of our highly respected elders think that we have been cheating on you since she joined the Resistance. Mr. Samson accuses us of not revealing to you of who this girl really is. He assumes that his grandson was attacked by a bess!"_ Kahlan spoke solemnly.

A whisper embraced the crowd. Some were shocked, some were aware of what would be happening but nobody kept out.

"_Yes, Mr. Samson is right. The girl you know as a healer, who has healed many of you and who has helped us during our settling in here is a bess."_ She waited several seconds for the crowd to get silent. _"Many highly-ranked members of the Resistance knew about it. We had to keep quiet, on one hand, not to bother commoners and, on the other hand, not to give someone the opportunity to give away the place of the child from the prophecy, who is destined to kill the evil - Lord Dracul!"_

"_You cheated on common people! You didn't let known, who she really was and that's why my grandson got attacked and maybe other children or even adults were damaged by the creature! Now she's a little girl but at night she becomes a ferocious werewolf!" _the elder at her right side addressed to the crowd.

The Mord'Sith shook her head gripping her agiel ready to start a fight, but suddenly the entrance gates thrust open and strange flying creatures with long rope tails with a sting at the end attacked the crowd. The war between humans and Underworld began…

**To be continued…**

**P.S. **_**Any ideas of how these creatures should look like and how should I call them? Please, comment giving your suggestions. Thank you!**_


	27. Chapter 27

**The Bess**

**Part 27**

The first creature attacked Mr. Samson, who was so confused that he didn't know how to react. The man squealed when the creature took him by the arms and flew up to the ceiling of the cave square. The Mother Confessor who stood next to the man swiftly enough caught the man's foot and now was pulling him to the ground with all her might. Richard drew the sword and slashed creature's leg with it. The flying beast yelped and let out its prey.

These beasts looked strange. They had big almond-shaped eyes without pupils. It was like two almond black holes looked at you and of course the human being would shiver under such a horrible gaze. They had muscular bodies almost like human's but their legs were curved like a hind-leg of a goat or other cattle though instead of hoofs they had paws. Their human hands had only four fingers and muscular backs had wide wings of a bat. A long tail came from the coccyx. It was two meters long with a sting on its end. I didn't need to mention that the tail was the most dangerous part of the body of these animals.

_**(Note from the author: The features of the creatures I took from the movie "Splice" but I change them a little not to look gorgeous. These supposed to be creatures of the Underworld.)**_

The crowed dissipated in few minutes with dozens lying on the ground unconscious stung by the beasty creatures. Some persons had broken limbs after falling down from the ceiling were creatures took them just to throw them away. Spells and magic didn't influence them. The Sisters of Light and magicians couldn't protect people from the Underworld beasts, though Sisters of the Light managed to kill three creatures with dacras but one of them was seriously wounded. Cara's agiels didn't work either. The attackers hissed feeling the pain the Mord'Sith's weapon caused but it didn't stop them as well as Richard's sword and Kahlan's daggers. The wounds caused by steel or magic fire or anything else except dacras healed quickly so the creatures just smirked at helpless humans scared to death. Reinold Styx, who was also on the square making sure that nobody would get hurt during the meeting, sliced a head from shoulders of one of the beasts and the bleeding body fell on the rocks of the square.

"_Chop their heads!" _He ordered the Resistance soldiers, men and women able to keep weapons in their hands.

Cara found a sword lying on the ground near a dead body and struck one roaring creature with agiel and then with steel of her sword. She used her strength to chop off its head but the sword was blunt, so she had to poke a half-dead corpse a few more times to make its head fall to the ground. She cursed the dead soldier, who didn't take proper care of his weapon. Richard slices hands and legs which grew back faster than he was able to cut them off but when he understood what to do the youthful ardor of the Underworld beasts diminished noticeably. Renn also tried to fight but within a minute he fell down stung with someone's tail. Aisha fought ferociously. She gnawed through the tails and tore creatures' throats. They didn't even try to escape her attack as if they didn't see her at all. When a sword sliced away a tail it grew back again, but when the bess tore it away it bleed but didn't grow any stings again. Poor Zedd – the wizard of the first order couldn't even protect himself when the creature took him in its arms and flew up. Verna saw it and threw her last dacra, other she'd lost in the battle. The dacra brushed against Zedd's cheek and stuck in the creature's head. The wizard had seconds to turn into a raven and fly away when a huge body struck the solid rock and left a stain of blood on the square.

The Mother Confessor was surrounded. She was desperately fighting but she knew she was failing. This feeling made her heart beat faster. She thought of her unborn child and rage overtook her. How dare these bastards fight with her – the Mother Confessor – the law of Midlands! Kahlan's eyes turned red. She stretched her arms to confess the creatures but the confessor's power flew past them and struck several soldiers and Richard. Instead of fighting his opponent the Seeker turned to his beloved woman and suddenly got a punch in his back with a sting. He fell on the square blind with pain for a minute then he stood up and went shivering to Kahlan piercing the beast with the sword on his way to the woman.

"_Command me, Confessor."_ He exclaimed slashing a head of the creature standing behind Kahlan.

The woman with dark hair roared as a wounded animal and stubbed the attacker. Several confessed soldiers were already on their way to her but suddenly the beast took the woman up like a light doll and flew away from the cave city. Other creatures followed it leaving dead bodies behind. Richard and confessed soldiers got off with a jerk to follow the Confessor.

Somehow Zedd and Verna managed to bind a creature with a rope. Where did they find it nobody knew, but it worked. At least now they had whom to interrogate. You couldn't imagine their surprise when the wizard and the Sister of the Light couldn't understand a sound this creature uttered.

"_Renn!"_ the bess kneeled down near the boy. Her first intention was to heal him but Warren stopped her.

"_Don't! It's not just poison in his blood flow but there is also dark magic that sneaked in every cell of his body, if you try to heal him I won't be sure that magic doesn't attack you, because I tried and it nearly knocked me out."_ The wizard explained the child.

"_It hurts him!"_ the girl sniffed turning in her human-self.

"_I know, we should think of a remedy or a spell I can't risk you to heal him. I'm sorry."_ The man took the boy in his arms and went down the street.

Cara approached the kidnapped creature: _"Why don't you kill it?"_

"_We thought we'd find out at least who it is and who sent it here," _the old man answered tiredly.

"_We don't understand anything. It's useless like talking to a gar,"_ Verna uttered disappointed.

The creature roared trying to loosen the ropes but in vain.

"_He says that when he gets out of these ropes he's going to tear you both to pieces,"_ Aisha joined the company.

Everybody looked at her.

"_Do you understand it?"_ Verna asked in surprise.

"_Yes, it's not it. It's him. What's your name?"_ Last phrase she roared in that strange animal voice of hers, no one understand the roar.

"_We don't have names. We are chimeras former besses, after the death the guards of the Underworld."_ The creature roared back.

Now the girl looked at him wide-eyed.

"_What did it… he say?"_ Zedd asked the stunned girl. She replied. Everybody looked at the creature then back at the girl.

"_Who are you? Why do you speak dark language?"_ the chimera was confused looking the girl all over.

"_I'm a bess."_ Aisha said softly.

The creature started to laugh hysterically but the laughter made the company shiver with the sound. The laughter resembled the sound of hyena.

"_You are a bess!"_ The beast creased up. _"Whom, then, those fools took away?" _It laughed and laughed.

"_They took the Mother Confessor."_

"_Darken Rahl will be surprised to see her instead of you,"_ the chimera giggled.

This tone pissed her off. The child jumped on his chest and gently but very dangerously wrote a bloody line on creature's neck. He began suffocating. He didn't see her, though he felt her weight on his chest and something like blades cutting his throat. The beast roared with fear trying to get rid of something he couldn't see.

"_I'll take off your skin and gnaw through your flesh till the bones but you tell me where to find Darken Rahl,"_ the bess whispered in the beast's ear.

"_Where are you? You sound so close but standing so far. How can you do that?"_ the creature yelled scared to death.

Aisha followed his gaze. The chimera looked at Verna frightened.

"_Do I stand near a wizard?"_ the child asked curiously. The beast nodded. Aisha smirked. _"Do you want to watch me cutting you to pieces without stirring a finger or do you want to tell me where did your friends take the Mother Confessor?" _She purred in his ear. The creature told her. _"Chop away his head! I know where they took Kahlan"_ The girl told her mother.

"_No-o-o-o!" _the chimera cried, - _"My death will be final!"_ The Mord'Sith didn't understand him. Within a second his head rolled away from the body.

**Main chamber of the Resistance quarters:**

The Sisters of Light, together with sorcerers, command staff of the Resistance, the Mord'Sith with the bess and the wizard of the First Order were in the room discussing a plan of rescuing the Mother Confessor. Cara wanted to follow Richard as soon as possible, but Zedd disagreed. They couldn't take any chances. Now their primary task was to protect the cave city and its citizens. Commoners were frightened though the understood one thing that the bess was on their side. The meeting ended with an important decision. Zedd, Cara and Aisha would leave the city to find the Seeker and the Mother Confessor.

The room was almost empty when girl uttered: _"Mistress Cara, what about Renn?"_

"_What about him?"_ She asked suspiciously. Zedd was long gone to prepare for the travel.

"_He was poisoned. He's at the hospital now. May I heal him?"_ the child asked softly.

"_Why didn't you do it before?" _

The girl shrugged her shoulders wisely avoiding the conversation she had with Warren. They entered the hospital. It was almost empty only several nurses took care of the wounded or sick people. Those stung by chimeras were lying in one big ward tied to their beds, because they moved harshly and cried in pain. Thick drops of sweat run down Renn's face mixing with tears. He had at attack of rending pain. For the first time in her life Aisha saw human limbs curl at such an unusual angle. The boy saw the Mord'Sith and the girl approach his bed.

"_Please, stop this! Kill me, please!"_ He begged.

Aisha took his shaking hand and black tears dropped on the floor. Tears ran and ran suddenly Cara saw the ash left from black tears turned into a snake. It took her a split second to pull the girl away and poke the reptile with an agiel. The snake hissed and sprung at the Mord'Sith. Cara deflected and pressed two agiels to wriggling beast. She stepped on its neck very close to its head and put an agiel between the poisonous teeth. It hissed louder and died.

"_Aisha, are you alright?"_ The Mord'Sith asked with a concern. The girl nodded still with her mouth open.

"_I hate snakes!"_ the blonde child said in disgust.

"_They don't like you either. Renn, how are you?"_ Cara asked the boy who was staring at them and the dead snake on the floor.

"_I don't feel pain anymore but I'm tired. May I sleep for awhile?" _the child pleaded.

"_Of course you may,"_ Cara replied unbinding his hands and legs from the bed, _"Sleep tight." _She smiled at him. _"Aisha," _the blonde woman turned to her daughter, _"can you heal the others?"_

"_Yes, I'm not even tired. Maybe because this poison in them it turns into a snake. It doesn't damage me. At first I felt pain but when it turned into a snake I felt the same as before," _She explained.

"_Fine. Don't do anything until I come back."_ She left the girl only to return with Reinold Styx.

"_So, Commander, we can heal these men and women but we need your sword,"_ Cara quickly told Reinold what to do and within two hours everybody in the ward slept peacefully and soldiers gathered pieces of snakes into huge sacks to fire them.

**Stork Castle, the Old World**

Darken Rahl and Nicci at his side looked at the woman who was standing in the middle of the throne room guarded by 6 chimeras.

"_Do you know who is she?"_ Darken asked chimera in his usual very calm manner. He understood their dark language. The Keeper gave him special powers to fulfill his task.

"_The bess, my Lord,"_ the creature roared.

"_Do you see a 10 year-old girl in front of you?"_ He approached another beast and looked him right into his hole-eyes.

"_No, but she turned when we left their cave,"_ the roaring beast answered.

"_My congratulations, Nicci. Instead of the bess, these dumb-heads brought us the Mother Confessor in her flesh and blood. How do you think? Should I kill them and her right now or should they die a long and agonizing death?"_ Now he was standing in front of Kahlan who was staring him proudly in the eyes making him think that she wasn't scared at all.

"_I don't think it'll be wise, Lord Rahl. We can use her as a bait and wait for the fish to come. Or else we can send one of these soft-heads to tell the Seeker where his precious Confessor is and defeat him and the Resistance as well. We trap the girl and the only thing left for us to do is to make sure that she will kill her father then we slaughter her and everything will be as in good old times,"_ the blonde Sister of the Dark smiled evilly at Darken.

"_Interesting plan. Put her in jail and don't forget to put a Rada-Han over her neck!"_ He ordered to the human guards who dragged the Mother Confessor from the throne room.

**To be continued…**


	28. Chapter 28

**The Bess**

**Part 28**

It was night already when Cara began to pack things they were going to take to their journey. Outside was snowing. She had to take fur coats, heavy fur boots, a tent and many other necessary things to protect them from cold weather. She knew intimately winters in the north were harsh.

"_Mommy, should I take a green woollen dress or a grey one?"_ Aisha appeared before the woman with a dress in each hand.

"_I told you not to call me that!"_ With these words Cara raised her hand to slap the girl hard across the face. Aisha closed her eyes tight and drew herself together ready for the blow but the hand stopped in an inch from her face. _"Go to sleep!"_ The Mord'Sith told the child in a very calm voice. She had to control the emotions, anger that was inside. The woman took both dresses from girl's hands: _"Go to sleep! We're living at dawn."_

"_Yes, Mistress Cara," _Aisha replied softly. It hurt her deep inside. I didn't matter what she could have done. She was a bess nothing more and nothing less, even in her mother's eyes. She climbed her bed that was above Cara's and curled into a ball trying to be as quiet as she could though her soul was crying.

It was true. Cara blamed the girl in everything that happened. Kahlan was taken because of her. Richard was confessed because of her. Zedd nearly died in the battle. Many men died in the fight with those creatures. Did it say that they were former besses? How many women did Lord Dracul bed? How many besses he produced to this world? They decapitated 9 beasts but at least 20 or maybe more flew away with the Mother Confessor! Richard was stung by the creature and who knows where he was crying in pain right now and nobody could help him. Those soldiers were confessed too. Their souls were taken just because the bess stood close to Kahlan! But it wasn't like that. Cara knew that it wasn't her child's fault. Everything was her fault. Hers only. She nearly smacked Aisha for what? For being born to this world? If it wasn't Cara in the first place nothing would have happened. Why then she threw all the blame on an innocent child if she was the reason of this war.

The candle has burnt down when the Mord'Sith realized heavy tears of anger rolling down her cheeks. She still fiddled the dresses in her hands crying in despair because of her friends. She cried her heart out. She was the reason of the disaster. Aisha saw her mother crying only once, when they were tortured in the Mord'Sith's temple by Lord Dracul. Those tears were caused by physical pain. They flew because a person couldn't control her eyes when the pain tore the body apart. Now she was afraid to see the woman-warrior like that. Girl tucked her head under the pillow not to hear barely audible sobs. The child didn't know what to do. She wanted to disappear, to vanish only not to hear the only person who maybe even cared for her cry like that.

In the morning the Mord'Sith's mood was ferocious as always. She barked at the girl to get dressed. When Aisha asked her if she could see Renn, Cara gave her a killing look so that the girl just shut up and quickly disappeared in the room to take some things. To her relief Verna and Warren saw them off, so the girl had an opportunity to send the presents to the friends. She gave Verna a carved soldier with a sword made of wood for Eric, a rug doll for Rachel and a rag patchwork cat for Renn.

"_Creator be with you, child!"_ Verna blessed Aisha and kissed her forehead.

"_Take care and listen to the adults!"_ Warren hugged her at parting.

Cara, Zedd and Aisha mounted the horses and went out from the cave city into thick snow. The weather was calm. Big flakes of snow came down from the sky. It was snowing heavy. In several minutes Verna and Warren lost sight of the travelers and went back into the cave city. In the evening three travelers realized that their clothes soaked from melting snow that got into the hoods and then little trickles ran down their necks. They felt sullen like drowned rats. They haven't found even hints that would lead them to Richard and confessed soldiers. Thick snow covered all the tracks and Zedd tried every spell he knew to find them but in vain. The wind started and it was getting colder. They decided to pitch a tent and dry their drenched garments. The wizard used his powers to pitch the tent and make a fire even with wet branches Aisha found under the snow. Cara took care of horses. Silently they chewed the stew inside the tent and hoped that tomorrow would give them something on Richard.

**Stork Castle, the Old World**

When Kahlan was dragged into a cell in the dungeon she felt relief. They didn't killed her just put a Rada Han over the neck. She wore it before, so she knew what to expect. She was too tired from a long flight with those creatures. Her limbs were sore. The woman was tired, very tired from the fight, from the Con Dar that effected her during the fight. It took a lot of her confessor's power. Kahlan remembered every single detail of the fight. She remembered confessing Richard and one of the beast stinging him with its tail. Her heart sunk. Kahlan enslaved the man she adored, the man, whose child she was with, the man who loved her maybe more than she did. Now her only hope was Cara and Zedd. If Darken finds out about her child… She didn't want to think about it. The woman felt dizzy and broken. Tears blurred her vision. She sobbed herself to sleep, to forget about this horrible day.

**Somewhere in the woods, three days later**

"_Look! What is it?"_ Cara got down from her horse. Zedd did the same. They both stared at strange footsteps that suddenly turned into animal tracks. _"Is it a trick or something?" _The Mord'Sith still didn't want to absorb what she was looking at.

"_I don't think so,"_ the wizard replied also puzzled. _"Whatever it is, it is a human being then an animal."_

"_Thank you for the explanation otherwise I wouldn't get it!" _Cara snapped at the old man.

"_Wolves!"_ the girl cried trying not to fall from a scared mare.

"_Aisha, drive the horses away!"_ The Mord'Sith yelled unsheathing the agiels.

The girl drove her mare towards two scared animals. She made an attempt to turn around which was successful and she galloped deep into the woods. Two horses followed the leading rider.

Zedd got two wolves with the wizard's fire and Cara was fighting other two. Aisha could hear the screams of dying animals. It took five minutes to eliminate a pack of wolves. Zedd was taking his breath when Cara called him.

"_There are not wolves!"_ She exclaimed staring at the dead body of a man lying on the snow. _"This is lieutenant Klag from the Resistance!"_

"_It can't be!"_ the old man was astonished to see the man he knew too well.

"_Though it's him!"_ Cara pointed at the dead body with her agiel. _"Maybe it is an explanation of the tracks we've seen."_

"_Yeah. These wolves are the men that Kahlan confessed. It is possible that the poison of those chimeras causes people to become wolves." _The old man supposed.

"_It is not possible, it's real. Aisha also has claws and fangs when she turns. Poison makes their turning final. They become wolves."_ The blonde woman concluded.

"_That's why we couldn't find them until now. Wolves move faster. Though I still don't know how to explain why human footprints mashed into animal tracks. Remember, we've found such anomaly earlier." _Zedd went on thinking.

"_I don't give a damn about it! All I know that Richard can be a wolf! I also don't know how to help him with that."_ Cara kicked a snowdrift angrily.

"_We'll figure out how to deal with it, I promise,"_ Zedd put a hand on her shoulder.

**Stork Castle, the Old World**

A week has passed since the day of her kidnapping. Kahlan lived in the dungeon's cell. She made attempts to escape but unsuccessful. Guard were too attentive, door and locks too tricky, walls too thick and she was too ill with her child and Rada Han over her neck to fight properly. Nobody came to see her. Nobody wanted to mock at her. It seemed like she didn't exist. Guards treated her good. Food was bearable. Every evening a guard brought a bucket of water and a basin for her to wash. Without words they took her night pot away every day. She tried to speak to her guards but they seemed as if being death. They behaved not like people as if their will was taken away as if they were dolls. The woman also noticed that they didn't talk with each other either. She lived in a complete silence. The only sounds she could hear was mice' squeaking and wind's howling outside the window. She entertained herself by singing songs many of them too sad not to cry. So, she sat there alone in front of a small window of thick glass and heavy bars, sang a ballad and cried longing for Richard and Cara to find her.

It freaked her out when the door flung open and Nicci appeared before her.

"_How are you, Kahlan? Are they treating you right?"_ Nicci asked venomously.

"_Yes, your guard are good. They do their work well. What's wrong with them anyway?"_ Kahlan stood up from her hard wooden bed.

"_Silent and hardworking almost like ants, don't you think?" _Nicci stepped inside the cell.

"_What did you do to them?"_ Kahlan asked this time her voice was full with emotions.

"_It's pity they won't exist for long. All of them are dead corpses. I made a potion that can revive dead person. They aren't banelings who claim souls of living people to stay alive. They are just corpses with no soul, no mind, no emotions, nothing. They don't eat, they don't drink but they fulfill every task a commander orders them to do. We call them puppets." _Nicci walked around the room. _"Great army, isn't it? Though the potion lasts for 10 days when they're just dust."_

Kahlan gulped. She didn't know how to react on that. All of these days she lived among dead corpses. The thought of it freaked her out.

"_What do you want from me?"_ the dark haired woman asked but she already knew the answer.

"_I want to take your Han."_ Nicci attacked Kahlan trying to unlock the Rada Han.

They fought each other ferociously beating and kicking and slapping. They end up rolling on the floor when Darken Rahl came into the room.

"_Nicci, what are you doing here?"_ He whispered in her ear holding her firmly in his arms. She struggled to set herself free. _"Answer me!"_

"_This bitch attacked me when I came to talk!" _Nicci was trying to catch her breath.

"_Is she or is it you who tried to get her Han!"_ Rahl pushed the blonde woman to the wall. He did with effort so her back bumped hard across the wall. _"I told you not to show up here! I don't need any damage it can cause my child!" _he slapped her across the face. _"Do you understand?"_

"_Yes, my Lord. That whore is with child too." _She told him.

Darken turned around to see Kahlan's pale face. He was surprised.

"_At last! You've got guts to confess the Seeker! You know Nicci, this world is getting better and better!" _Darken laughed.

**To be continued…**

_**I would like to receive some comments. Thank you!**_


	29. Chapter 29

**The Bess**

**Part 29**

"_What's up, child? You look so sad."_ The wizard asked a sullen blonde girl who sat across the lit fire.

"_Nothing. It's just cold and windy and wet."_ Aisha replied softly looking in the fire as if it could give her anything important.

"_No, I'm pretty sure it's not the weather that is bothering you."_ The old man insisted.

Aisha looked around to see any signs of the Mord'Sith and sighed with relief as she hasn't found anyone spying about.

"_When I die I'll become a chimera."_ Zedd could barely get what she mumbled.

"_You won't. You're not like them, child."_ The wizard put his hand on girl's shoulder to assure her when he heard Cara's voice coming from behind.

"_Don't feed her with illusions. She is, what she is and nobody can do anything about it."_ Cara dropped a pile of chopped wood in front of the fire. _"You," _the Mord'Sith addressed to the child, _"don't be a sniveler. I don't have time for that! Eat and try to get some sleep. I've found the wolf that is heading the same road we are. Probably it is Richard. If we are lucky we'll catch with him in a day. Then you'll try to heal him. So, eat, sleep and take those stupid thoughts out of your head or I hasten your death for you to see what you'll become faster than a blink of an eye." _The blonde woman threatened the child. The girl just nodded and ate in silence.

**Somewhere in the woods:**

"_Richard, Richard!"_ Cara dismounted her horse and now was kneeling in front of the Seeker's unconscious, naked body. Two inches of snow covered him. The wizard kneeled beside her. He took man's wrist in his hand to feel the pulse. Zedd sighed with relief as he found weak beating of the heart.

"_He's alive but frozen. I try to heal him."_ Zedd put his hands on Richard's chest and chanted some spell within a second the old man was rolling on the snow in agony crying his lungs out in pain. Cara tried to fix Zedd to the ground. He started to use wizard's fire uncontrollably. Now the nearby trees were burning brightly like torches.

"_Aisha, help me! I don't want to deflect his magic or I'll burn him!"_ Cara yelled at the girl who looked at everything in some kind of stupor. The Mord'Sith sat down on the wizard's chest and kept his hands to the ground. Zedd cried in pain trying to knock her down but couldn't. Aisha hurried to them. She grabbed wizard's head in her small palms and let the tears flow. Wizard's uncontrollable motions soothed and soon he was lying on the ground in peaceful unconsciousness. Cara slowly stood up. Aisha turned to Richard. She spread her arm to rest it on the Seeker's head when the Mord'Sith stopped her.

"_Are you sure you have enough power to heal him?"_ she asked the bess.

"_Yes,"_ the little blonde beauty mumbled.

"_Aisha, if you can't, you'll do it tomorrow or maybe next week. You weren't feeling well the last couple of days, maybe it is better to wait?" _Cara asked the child holding her little fingers in hers. Girl's hand was so cold almost like the snow around.

"_I'm fine. I can do it." _Aisha put her cold palms on the man's forehead and Cara took out her agiels ready to defeat anything that could appear from Richard, but nothing happened. For some minutes Seeker's body jerked a little then it calmed but suddenly a black shadow in a form of a wolf attacked the girl. Cara poked it with an agiel, but it got right through it. Aisha didn't take off her hands even when blood started to drip from wounds caused by the shadow. The Mord'Sith tried to drag the girl away from the Seeker but it seemed as if her hands were glued to his forehead. Cara shouted to attract girl's attention but the child didn't hear her. She sat on the snow in front of a naked male body. Her small hands were resting on his forehead and a wolfish shadow tore her garments leaving deep gashes on her arms and chest. Suddenly it disappeared and the child fell down on the red snow.

"_Keep him warm,"_ the girl muttered to Cara when she kneeled and put little curly head on her lap. The mighty Mord'Sith sat there on the snow rocking the child not knowing what to do. Richard and Zedd came to consciousness. The Seeker was shivering with cold. Wizard covered him with his woollen cloak.

"_What happened? Where am I? Where is my mistress? Where is the Confessor?"_ He clutched Zedd's collar.

"_Leave him alone, you, filthy bastard!"_ Cara smacked him with an agiel. _"Look at what you've done!" _She threw him on the ground and showered blows upon him. It took Zedd a lot of time and energy to get her off of the Seeker.

"_Cara, calm down! You won't help her, if you kill him! You should focus on her! The magic doesn't work on her. We have to stop the bleeding and to clean the wounds."_ He yelled holding her tight to prevent from punching the man on the ground whose face was already in blood. His left brow was split as well as his upper lip. He had a black eye and blood dropped from his nose.

"_Have you seen my mistress?"_ Richard asked pleadingly and wiped the blood with a hem of the cloak. Cara rolled her eyes relaxing for a bit in Zedd's grip.

"_I let you go and you won't hurt anybody." _He suggested and let her go. _"Richard, Kahlan is with Darken Rahl in a Stork castle. We haven't heard of her for awhile."_ The wizard hummed a spell and the Seeker was surprised to feel warm and completely dressed. _"We know how much you want to see Kahlan. Now we have to help that little girl out there. She healed you and she wants to see the Mother Confessor as much as you do. So, help us keep her alive. I think, Kahlan will reward you if you take care of this child."_

Richard nodded and kneeled beside Cara in front of Aisha's small form. The girl breathed heavily but she wasn't unconscious or crying. They turned her on the back to see the injury. Her right arm was ripped to the bone. There were deep gashes on both sides of her chest and abdomen. Cara pressed a clean cloth to stop the bleeding. Aisha gasped in surprise.

"_I'm sorry. Try not to move,"_ the woman whispered.

Zedd used his magic to make a little cabin for them. He fed the horses and made a magical meal – a roasted pork with vegetables and a beef tea for Aisha. It was quiet and warm in the cabin. Zedd told the girl funny stories until she fell asleep next to Cara.

"_What now?"_ Cara asked softly and tuck up the blanket around the child.

"_We are in a day from the Stork castle. Maybe we'll find a healer there."_ Zedd voiced his thoughts.

"_You want to bring her right into Rahl's greedy hands?"_ The Mord'Sith hissed.

"_Cara, our previous plan wouldn't work. We can't penetrate the castle unnoticed. We need help. You saw her wound on the abdomen. She's hurt badly. Maybe she won't make till the castle. Tomorrow we'll do our best to get her to Darken Rahl as soon as possible, if the Keeper gave him dark power maybe it will work on her, because mine is useless." _The wizard looked at her tired and really worried. He wanted to assure her that everything would be fine but he doubted it.

"_What about Kahlan?" _

"_I explain our plan to Richard. He'll rescue her." _Zedd replied and put his hand on her shoulder. Cara nodded.

**The Stork Castle:**

"_Lord Rahl, mriswiths attacked the castle!"_ the guard informed Darken Rahl. This news didn't surprise him. He was inventing an effective strategy for the battlefield with Lord Dracul. Nicci have already managed to revive thousands of corpses which were sent in the middle of the battle in the west. They have succeeded in the south and Darken gained popularity among common people who were tired from Dracul's dragon laws. They wanted to live peacefully, so many followed Darken Rahl forgetting his previous sins.

"_Bred, send puppets and 6 chimeras to fight mriswuths. Others assemble on the main square. You're leaving."_ He ordered and took some maps from the table. _"And bring the Confessor from her room."_

Kahlan didn't feel well recently. Her child caused her a lot of trouble in the morning and during the day. She couldn't say that they treated her bad. After Darken Rahl found out about her pregnancy, she was immediately sent to a small but comfortable room with a nice soft bed, a table and a cosy arm-chair. Servants brought her tasty meal that smelled wonderfully, but she couldn't eat much because of her recent sickness. Once a day Darken came in to see if she was fine and brought her a book or two. She didn't make any attempts to fight the guards. Rahl ordered 4 chimeras to guard her. Kahlan didn't want to risk her child fighting them always feeling dizzy and tired.

"_Nicci, use the teleportation spell and take Kahlan to the Confessor's palace in Aydindril. The Mord'Siths loyal to me control it, and people are also ready to swear their allegiance to me. But, if you, Mother Confessor, help us, we would defeat Lord Dracul quicker."_ Darken turned to Kahlan.

"_I'll help you if you find Richard and bring him to me."_ Kahlan replied.

"_Fine! I'll send the best sleuths to find him and bring to Aydindril. Now, Nicci, make sure you're two safe in the Confessor's palace, while I teleport the rest of army from here in Aydindril."_ Darken kissed the blonde woman stroking gently her protruding body. _"Be careful." _He went to the main square.

Lord Rahl saw a huge crowd gathering on the square. It was his army of living people not the puppets he used to revive just to distract the enemy. He saw people preparing their bags ready to leave and a horse with a rider on its back fighting his way through the crowd. People moved in waves to give a way to the horse. The rider was dressed in a strange blue uniform and long cloak that covered him and something he carried in his arms. The hood covered his face but a gust of wind tore it from the head and Rahl was surprised to behold a blonde braid he knew so well and those blue cold eyes and full lips. Maybe Nicci was with his child but he would do anything to make that strong rider murmur his name in the darkness of his chambers. He waited for the horse to come closer to greet her.

"_Cara, by what chance? Let me guess, you come for the Confessor. Do you really think I'm going to let you take her and leave?" _He smiled his evil but charming smile.

"_I don't give a damn about the Confessor, Lord Rahl. I brought you the bess."_ She said in a cold tone.

Suddenly they saw a bright flash of light going from the castle. The glass in the windows broke and poured outside. Something went wrong. Darken Rahl stormed into the throne room to find Nicci laying down on the floor unconscious but alive. Kahlan disappeared.

"_Nicci, Nicci, what's wrong?"_ he asked the blonde woman slapping her gently.

"_The wizard of the first order was here together with the Seeker. The old man pushed me away and used the spell to teleport three of them."_ She said trying to control her unsteady breathing.

"_Are you alright?"_

"_I'm fine, just have to regain my powers." _She replied still out of breath.

"_Don't worry about them. We'll defeat Dracul even without an army now when we have the bess."_ He grinned.

**To be continued…**


	30. Chapter 30

**The Bess**

**Part 30**

_**Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last chapter of this long fiction. As it is my birthday today, I hope you enjoy my present to you. I have to warn you that you were reading a dramatic piece. So I tried not to disappoint you **___

"_Zedd, where are we?"_ Kahlan asked and looked at Richard and the wizard. The trees surrounded them but there wasn't snow on them. Yellow and red leaves covered the ground. The air was clear and the rays of the sun got through trees' branches.

"_We're in Heartland. The boarder that divided Heartland from the Midlands is not far from here. I'm strong enough to __restore it. Kahlan, you and Richard should stay here and bring to this land justice and order."_ Zedd took her by the shoulders.

"_No, Zedd. I can't. Richard, he has…"_ The Mother Confessor was still overwhelmed of being rescued by the wizard.

"_Listen, child! Richard has fulfilled his task. Now he has his right to be with you, to make something to the land destroyed by Dracul, to bring peace at least to this part of land." _The old man explained.

Kahlan looked at her love and understood everything. She confessed him in that fight. A single tear escaped her eye.

"_Don't be sorry and don't worry about it. He always adored you and it was just a matter of time. I believe you'll lead him to victory and he'll become a great ruler together with his queen."_ Zedd shook away the tear from Kahlan's cheek.

"_What about Cara__, Aisha and Aydindril?"_ She whispered no longer able to keep down her emotion.

"_Cara and Aisha have their own fate. Nobody can help them even me. There was another prophecy Warren told me about. If we divide the land there will be a chance to defeat Lord Dracul. His army here is huge, so three of us will fight together to free this world of evil. Cara will do the same with the other par__t and maybe one day two lands will unite but not now."_

"_What do you want to say that we're leaving Cara all alone?" _Kahlan shook her head in disbelief.

"_Hard time requires hard decision, child__." _With these words the wizard went away in the woods leaving the Mother Confessor to cry in the arms of the Seeker. The old man knew that each man had his own way and their lives would separate from Cara's from now on.

**The Stork castle**

The child was conscious and still breathing when Cara laid her down on the table. Aisha sighed and shivered with pain but not a sound escaped her pale lips.

"_My Lord, can you heal her?"_ Cara asked with no emotion in her voice as if she was dead and it wasn't her child lying on that wooden table barely breathing.

Rahl slowly approached the table followed by Nicci.

"_What's wrong with her?" _He asked looking quizzically at the dress soaked with blood.

"_She was injured by chimeras."_ The Mord'Sith replied shortly. Suddenly a hard slap across her face made the woman back two steps aside. Cara remembered this kind of blow so intimately. The slap of master's hand that usually caused her lip split. She bit her lip to feel blood on her tongue and looked at Darken Rahl with a challenge.

"_Don't you ever lie to me, filthy whore!"_ Darken poke venomously. _"Chimeras can't damage her because they don't see her!"_

A little cold hand caught his sleeve. _"Don't… harm her."_ The child whispered gathering all her strength to grip the sleeve with her small fist. She wanted to dig the claws into this hateful hand but the man jerked away and she nearly fell from the table making the fabric of his garment rip.

"_I'm telling the trut__h. She tried to heal the Seeker. The shade that came out of him caused all these damages."_ Not even a muscle moved to reveal her feelings.

"_A monster that can heal others, interesting." _Rahl stepped closer.

"_She is too weak. She won't live for long."_ Words escaped Nicci's lips. The woman stood near the girl. She touched her messy curls gently almost a motherly touch. _"You should help her or we'll lose everything."_

"_I want Cara to plead me not you, Nicci."_ Darken Rahl smirked looking at the girl curling in agony. _"Would you, Cara, beg me to preserve life of your stinky bastard, right here?"_ He fixed his gaze on the Mord'Sith in an unusual blue suit that made her even sexier than her red leather.

"_It's your choice, Lord Rahl, you may let her die and Dracul wins or you may help her and your enemy loses. You always liked alternatives."_ She answered reasonably making his face crack into a smile.

"_That's the Cara I know." _He turned to the girl and started citing a spell. The spell brought black fog and lifted up the girl from the table. Aisha was screaming as if she was being cut by thousand knives but within a moment everything went calm. Black fog disappeared leaving the unconscious small body on the table. There were several bruises left on girl's body but the wounds and gashes vanished.

"_Take her to the Mother Confessor's room and guard her." _Rahl ordered the soldiers. They took the child away. Nicci left to see that the girl would be comfortable.

Darken came to the Mord'Sith and kissed her hungrily almost eating her lips but the woman didn't respond. She stood in front of him like a statue calm and serious, prepared to everything that might follow. The man stopped looking at her with amusement and anger.

"_Do you think you can beat me?"_ He yelled at her.

"_Not, my Lord." _A calm voice answered.

"_Do you think that you outsmarted me snatching the Seeker, wizard and Mother Confessor__ right on the button?" _

"_Even you would admit it was brilliant."_ The Mord'Sith chuckled.

"_Do you know what I can do to you?" _His fingers grasped her beautiful face.

"_Intimately, though if you want to stay alive you will leave the only person, that can control the creature you have just healed, be or I will not expect you to survive the next day."_ She smiled venomously.

"_Is it a threat?" _the man whispered in her ear.

"_It's a statement of fact__. Why don't we have dinner instead of exchanging courtesy?"_ The woman offered.

"_Maybe idea is not bad."_ He agreed and they left the room.

"_So, where is the Resistance corps?"_ Rahl began a conversation sitting at a table full with different dishes.

"_If I tell you I should kill you."_ The Mord'Sith replied taking a bite of crispy pork with winter berries.

"_How come that you have joined the Resistance and bec__ome the Seeker's pet?"_ He continued the dialogue.

"_I was tired to get rid of m__y sisters died in childbirth. That bastard didn't respect his own guards. Though now you have your army of chimeras. How convenient."_ She said sardonically and sipped wine from a goblet in front of her.

"_Oh, Cara, you're becoming sentimental." _

"_I'm subjective. I say what I think, I do what I want. It's called freedom." _She said sincerely.

"_Freedom is when you don't depend on anything."_ He parried.

"_Then you may call yourself a slave. You always depend on somebody." _

"_Touche. But now you are my prisoner.__"_

"_Actually I would call it a guest visit.__ Thanks, the meal was lovely."_ She stood up. _"May I expect a hot bath?"_

"_Only if I share it with you." _Darken replied sweetly.

"_Nicci is pregnant. Have at least some respect for her."_ She left him to his thoughts.

It was late in the night when Cara came into the room after a hot bath that she took in complete solitude. She sent away even a servant woman who had to pour the hot water if Cara asked. She stood above the bed where her child peacefully slept in a fresh gown under a downy blanket. The woman carefully slipped under the blanket but the child shifted and opened her eyes.

"_Shhh. Sleep tight." _Cara rearranged the blanket over the girl.

"_Don't leave me, momma."_ The girl murmured sleepily and curled into a ball beside Cara.

"_I will never leave you." _She hugged the child and kissed her forehead.

**The Next Morning**

Two servants went into their room. They brought hot water and a basin for washing as well as a simple dress, cotton tights and leather boots for the girl and a warrior suit for Cara. It was made partially of wool, cotton and leather. It included wool pants, high leather boots, a cotton shirt and a leather sleeveless jacket. It was made in the colors of the House of Rahl red and golden. Aisha helped Cara to braid her hair.

"_Mistress Cara, why are we still here?"_ Aisha asked when Cara tried to make a pony tail of her daughter's curls.

"_Where should we be?"_ the woman asked as the child hissed because Cara pulled her hair too hard.

"_Together with Richard, Zedd and Kahlan."_ The girl insisted hissing one more time.

"_I hope they are safe but we can't go with them."_

"_Why? Aren't we going to run away from that bastard?" _She turned to Cara.

"_Aisha, watch your tongue! No, we are not going to run away. That man has an army that can help us defeat Lord Dracul. We're safe here."_ Cara looked at the child admiring her work. The girl looked astonishing even in a simple grey dress.

"_But yesterday he slapped you!"_

"_As you see I__'ve survived. Listen, sometimes we have to choose the lesser of two evils. He will help us with Dracul and then we'll flee away, but now you'll be polite and do everything as I tell you." _The Mord'Sith explained. Aisha nodded and they left to the throne chamber.

"_Oh, at last you decided to join us at breakfast,"_ Rahl said sarcastically.

"_We're glad to see you too, Lord Rahl, Nicci."_ The Mord'Sith replied sitting at the left corner of the table as Nicci was sitting at the right corner. The girl sat next to Cara.

"_How our little beauty is doing?"_ He continued.

"_I'm fine. Thank you for healing me, my Lord."_ Aisha said shyly. Rahl broke into a smile.

"_It's amazing how this child can be so well bred when I used the most powerful dark magic to keep her alive. She should be a howling creature by now." _

"_It's best to see her like this than to watch her dark side."_ Cara replied evilly looking at Rahl then at Nicci. _"Aisha, eat, please." _Cara moved a cup of tea closer to the child.

"_Today we are leaving for Aydindril so you can join your friends, Cara. The spell Nicci castes yesterday made them float right in hands of your beloved sisters. I hope they warmly greeted them."_ Darken Rahl exclaimed.

"_Richard was confessed. I think your loyal warriors are shadrin's food by now, but if __my sisters succeeded I would be glad to fight together with them to free D'Hara from Dracul."_

"_Th__an be prepared to teleportation."_

"_There's a little problem, my Lord." _Cara disagreed.

"_What is it?"_

"_Aisha is resistant to any kind of magic."_

"_I magically healed her yesterday." _Darken replied grinning.

"_You used dark magic to her good, but if you use any kind of su__btractive or additive magic for other reasons she would not absorb it."_ The woman in red explained.

Suddenly Rahl used the wizards blowing power to make the girl hit the other wall but she sat quietly at the same chair sipping tea while the servant beside her was knocked down.

"_Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to warn you about." _Cara said looking at the helpless man on the floor.

A magical explosion ripped the door off the hinge. Mord'Siths filled the room taking everybody inside hostages. It would be silly for Nicci or Darken Rahl to use their power against them. Steel and reaction was all they needed right now. But it was the least trouble they were facing. Only heavy steps were heard in the dead silence of the throne chamber. A man appeared in the doorway in all his beautiful but cruel white glory.

"_Darken - my closest friend, I was so disappointed in your loyal guards,"_ the man nodded at the Mord'Siths, who encircled them, _"that I even gave them the opportunity to serve me. No one can stand the pain of the Underworld, right, Cara?"_ With a snap of his fingers Cara screamed with unbearable pain and fell to the floor.

"_Dracul, I have the message from your father. He wants you back to help him rule his empire not the world of the living."_ Darken said in a low voice concentrating on the position of women in red leather, calculating the moment to attack.

"_I like this world the better than the desert he's offering me." _Dracul made a gesture with his finger and Cara screamed in agony.

"_Stop it!"_ Aisha cried. She was on the floor beside Cara trying to soothe her pain, but the woman rushed about the floor like a pathetic worm.

"_Aisha, my little girl, beautiful but useless. I can let her live if you die instead, will you?"_

"_With pleasure, father."_ She stood up slowly. Her eyes turned black. It wasn't blue or even dark blue. They were of a bright black color. She moved towards the man in white garments.

This very moment Darken winked at Nicci. Both grabbed knives from the table and stabbed the Mord'Siths at their sides. Other sisters rushed to them. Darken managed to grab the agiel from the dying woman and poked another Mord'Sith with it. Nicci used kitchen utensils against the red leathered warriors. Cara regained control of her body and tried to get through the rain of agiels to Aisha who was fighting with the man in a white cloak. Three sisters surrounded Nicci. One of them hit her with an agiel in the face. The woman hit the wall. A Mord'Sith disarmed the sorcerer. Somebody poked her rib cage with an agiel. A cry escaped Nicci's mouth and she sank to the floor. Cara struck one sister with an agiel, the other got a hard blow at solar plexus, the third plopped at her knees as pain from the agiel paralyzed her backbone. Cara gave Nicci her hand to help her up from the floor. Aisha was fierce and fast but still she wasn't a match for a half-god. The girl managed to leave some deep scratches at Dracul's body but they weren't lethal. Darken was already at girl's side using his wizard's power against the white warrior. A magical explosion tore the table to pieces, some stones fell from the walls. It was the right moment for child to attack and she did it, though the man was faster. He caught her on his sword as she was successful to slice his neck with her claws from behind.

"_A-a-i-s-h-a!"_ Cara's scream froze in the air.

Lord Dracul dropped his sword. His knees buckled. The man pressed both hands to his neck but in vain. Blood poured freely from the fatal wound making white turn to red. Cara rushed to the child who was lying on the floor with the sword sticking up her ribcage. The woman kneeled beside the child taking girl's head on her lap.

"_Aisha,__ everything will be fine."_ But she saw that nothing was fine. Crimson blood covered child's lips. The sword went into the ribcage splitting her lung. She had bruised and deep gashes everywhere.

"_Mom.., maybe… that's not bad… to be a chimera."_ The girl tried to smile.

"_Shhh, don't talk. You won't be, Lord Rahl will heal you." _Cara said looking at Darken Rahl who tried to understand how to get out the sword without causing too much damage to internal organs. The girl coughed blood.

"_Aisha, I pull out the sword. Nicci, use subtractive magic to stop the bleeding. Are you ready?"_ he asked the child.

"_No… Mom…. I… I… love you."_ The girl whispered and a small stream of blood escaped her lips.

"_I love you too. __Don't speak, please. Concentrate on the sword. We'll talk later."_ Cara told the girl tears watering her eyes.

"_I'll count to three. One, two… three."_ He pulled the sword out. Nicci immediately pressed her hands to the wound casting the spell but Aisha coughed more blood and remained silent forever.

Cara shared the breath of life once, twice than more. Darken forced the woman leave the silent child rest in peace.

"_Why? Why can't I revive her?"_ Cara yelled trying to push the man away who was holding her tight to himself.

"_Cara, Nicci and I couldn't have healed her even if we tried. Her body was beyond saving and you know it! She fulfilled her destiny. You have your own.__ Life goes on."_

Cara tore away from his embrace. She looked once again at the girl's body, then at Nicci, who stood there crying. She took a glance at her former lover and went to the exit.

**The end**


End file.
